With the castle looming over it to the north, Alfama is built on the southern slope of a hill that goes down towards the Tagus. It is Lisbon's most well-known and oldest area (it emerged relatively unscathed by the 1755 earthquake), and one of the emblems of the city. With its maze of medieval streets and alleyways, courtyards and cul-de-sacs, intersected by steps and arches, it forms a poetic jumble, where everyday life spills out into the streets.