Alverca do Ribatejo, Portugal

This city is no picturesque, rural escape. Alverca do Ribatejo is a sprawling suburb of 31,070 people, the largest in its municipality. It's been deeply tied to aviation since the early 20th century, home to military air bases and aerospace companies. But that industrial heritage has a downside - the city sits along the Tagus River, where in 1979 Philippe Cousteau's flying boat tragically crashed. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the city's parish only recently merging in 2013. Alverca is a practical, workaday commuter town, not a quaint Portuguese idyll. It may suit those drawn to its aviation focus, but offers little for those seeking a relaxed, rural lifestyle.