As a trading centre at the mouth of the Rio Douro it is the second largest city after Lisbon. The place has a number of distinctive atmospheres and this is very evident when comparing the various parts of the city. The quarter around the riverside known as the Ribeira is full of narrow twisting streets with houses once painted or tiled in colorful facades, and full of the bustling energy of working people during the day and the liveliness of busy "tascas" and restaurants at night. The district around the Cathedral is full of busy streets and monuments to past achievements, and streets lined with houses built like layers of a cake then crowded together with a maze of small alleys in-between. The Cordoaria quarter is for the students with steep streets and interesting shops. The civic centre of the city is in the Central e Baixa quarter with broad avenues lined with banks and outdoor cafés, or in the Baixa where the the two-tiered covered daily market goes about its business. Lastly, the Boavista area is the arterial route in and out of the city past blocks of apartments and hotels.