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Places to Visit in Lisbon

And there is so much to see and do that it’s hard to have enough time to see everything you want to, so here is a selection, among others, of everything you can’t miss in the Portuguese capital.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos

At 52 meters high, the Padrão dos Descobrimentos commemorates the fifth centenary of the death of Henry the Navigator, discoverer of the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde.

Next to the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery is this 52-meter-high monument erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of one of Portugal’s great discoverers: Prince Henry the Navigator, discoverer of Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde.

The Monument to the Discoveries contains a sculptural group in the shape of the tip of a caravel, on which the Infante paves the way for various characters who had a hand in the great discoveries in Portugal’s history.

Viewpoint of the Monument to the Discoveries

If you want a panoramic view of Belém from above, you can climb this monument. If you don’t like climbing stairs, the monument can also be reached by elevator.

From the top, you can see the Belem monument, the western districts of the city and, most importantly, a marble mosaic at the foot of the monument depicting a compass rose with a world map in the center.

The Rose of the Winds measures 50 meters in diameter and was designed by Cristino da Silva. It was a gift from the Republic of South Africa.

Torre de Belém

The Belém Tower, located on the Tajo estuary, initially served as a defense tower to protect Lisbon. Later, its mission was relegated to lighthouse and customs center.

The Manueline-style Belém Tower was built between 1515 and 1519 and is the work of Francisco de Arruda. In 1983, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The tower is located at the mouth of the Tagus River and initially served to defend the city, later becoming a customs center and lighthouse. It is very close to the Jerónimos Monastery, so it is advisable to combine the two visits.

Inside the Belem Tower
On entering the first floor, you’ll find 16 windows with defensive cannons and you can also visit the pits and holes where prisoners were thrown.

The tower itself has five floors and ends in a terrace. All the floors are connected only by a small spiral staircase, which, on busy days, can have long queues or you may have to wait your turn to go up or down, which can make for a slightly claustrophobic experience.

The floors of the Belém Tower are, from bottom to top: the Governor’s Room, the Kings’ Room, the Audience Room, the Chapel and the Terrace.

The rhinoceros gargoyle
On the west façade of the Belém Tower you’ll find a curious gargoyle of a
rhinoceros.

Palácio da Pena

The history of this magical place begins in the 12th century, when there was a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena. On the same spot, King Manuel I ordered the construction of a monastery, the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Pena, which was later handed over to the Order of St. Jerome.

The earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755 left the monastery practically in ruins. Even in ruins, the monastery continued to operate, but almost a hundred years later, in 1834, when the religious orders were abolished in Portugal, it was left abandoned. The Park of Pena still preserves places that hark back to this era, such as the Monk’s Cave, where the monks practiced seclusion.

The Pena Palace was classified as a National Monument in 1910 and is the most important part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1995.

In 2000, the Park of Pena came under the management of Parques de Sintra, which in 2007 also took over management of the palace. In 2013, the National Palace of Pena joined the Network of European Royal Residences.

Over the years, Parques de Sintra has carried out constant conservation, restoration and revaluation work on the vast heritage of the Park and Palace of Pena, in particular the project to rebuild the Chalet of the Countess of Edla – awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage – Europa Nostra, in 2013, in the Conservation category – and the complete restoration of the Great Hall of the Palace of Pena.

Oceanário

The Lisbon Oceanarium is the second largest aquarium in Europe. Its facilities are home to more than 15,000 animals and over 450 different species of plants.

The Lisbon Oceanarium is the second largest aquarium in Europe, behind only L’Oceanogràfic in Valencia. Its habitat is home to more than 15,000 living creatures from over 450 different species.

The building on which it stands is one of the most eye-catching in Parque das Nações. It is “floating” on the water and the entrance is on the walkways. During the Expo, it was called the Ocean Pavilion and was one of the most popular.

Visiting the Oceanarium
The Oceanarium building has two floors and everything revolves around a large central aquarium. If you visit in the order indicated, you’ll see marine species from the different oceans. On the upper floor, you’ll see surface animals and plants, while on the lower floor you’ll see marine species from the depths.

The central aquarium is probably the most eye-catching in Ocenário, as it is home to hundreds of species: sharks, rays and tropical fish are some of its inhabitants.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

The Jerónimos Monastery is, along with the Belém Tower, Lisbon’s most important tourist attraction. Inside is the tomb of Vasco da Gama.

The monastery was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Built by the architect Diogo de Boitaca, the construction of the Jerónimos Monastery began on January 6, 1501 and was completed at the end of the 16th century. The predominant style of the monastery is Manueline and it was built to celebrate the return of Vasco da Gama from the Indies.

As a curiosity, the location of the monastery was chosen because it was the site of the Ermida do Restelo, the church where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent time praying before starting their voyage.

The Church
The Church of the Jeronimos Monastery is totally different from all the churches we’ve seen so far. Its single nave has six perfectly carved columns that seem to have no end.

The most interesting sights are the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões.

Cloister
The Cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery is even more impressive than that of Lisbon Cathedral. Its size and perfection make all the difference.

As you walk through the cloister, you can visit the upper part of the church and the tomb of Fernando Pessoa. There is also a room dedicated to the evolution of the monastery, comparing it with the history of Portugal and the world.

Castelo de São Jorge

Located at the top of São Jorge hill, the highest in Lisbon, São Jorge Castle is one of the city’s most historic landmarks.

São Jorge Castle is one of Lisbon’s best-known monuments. Both day and night, its image stands out on the hill where the Castelo and Alfama neighborhoods are located.

Built in the 5th century by the Visigoths, São Jorge Castle was enlarged by the Arabs in the 9th century and modified during the reign of Afonso Enriques. In 1938, it underwent a complete restoration.

Its period of maximum splendor lasted from the middle of the 13th century to the beginning of the 16th century, when the castle was occupied by the kings of Portugal.

As a reminder of its past, Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian remains are currently being restored.

Visiting St. George’s Castle

The visit will take more than a morning, as the area is quite large. In addition to the castle with its eleven towers, there is also a small museum, a bar and a restaurant on the grounds. After visiting the fortress, we recommend taking a short stroll through the surrounding streets.

From the top of the fortress, you’ll have the best view of the east side of Lisbon.

You can take advantage of your visit to São Jorge Castle to visit Lisbon Cathedral, located just a few minutes’ walk away.

Museu dos Coches

Lisbon’s National Coach Museum houses an important collection of carriages dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

The Museum is attributed to Queen Amélia of Orleans and Bragança and was inaugurated on May 23, 1905. It is currently one of the most visited museums in Lisbon.

Most important carriages
Among the most important carriages are the one that belonged to Philip III of Spain (the oldest in the collection) and the three Italian Baroque carriages built in Rome in 1716, all belonging to Pope Clement XI. Of these three carriages, the one given to him by King John V stands out (pictured right).

As well as the carriages, in the museum you’ll find some portraits and other objects from the period.

Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum houses one of the most important private art collections. It includes works from Ancient Egypt to the beginning of the 20th century, covering the arts of the Islamic world, China and Japan, as well as French decorative arts, Impressionist painting and René Lalique’s jewelry.

The building was designed by architects Alberto Pessoa, Pedro Cid and Ruy de Athouguia.

Its collection consists of approximately 6,000 pieces of ancient and modern art, of which only 1,30 are on public display.

The museum opened its doors in October 1969, following the testamentary dispositions of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, an industrialist of Armenian origin who settled in Portugal in the mid-20th century, and who throughout his life amassed a vast art collection.

Entrance to the Museum
The pieces in the permanent exhibition are displayed in two independent circuits. The first is dedicated to Oriental and Classical Art, with pieces of Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Islamic, Chinese and Japanese art.

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