Monsanto Forest Park (Parque Florestal Monsanto) is a large, protected forested area to the west of Lisbon which provides a welcome opportunity to relax away from the traffic and crowds of the city.
This 10 square kilometre site is Lisbon's largest green space and offers panoramic views of the city, the Tejo River and the Atlantic Ocean. The forest trails, some of which are quite hilly, are popular with walkers, runners and cyclists, and there are children's play areas, picnic areas and more. A number of sporting and cultural events are...
19th century neoclassical palace on the edge of Lisbon in Ajuda. The palace was built as the royal residence and has the lavish interior to prove it.
The Electricity Museum (Museu da Electricidade) is housed in the old power station on the banks of the river Tejo in Belém. In an area crammed full of historic monuments the Electricity Museum could be overlooked, however, it has worked hard to broaden its appeal and is far more worthy of a visit than its name might suggest!
The primary subject of the museum is the Tejo Power Station and how electricity was made there. But the building itself and the huge spaces within are probably the main attraction. Built between 1908 and 1951 this is one of the finest examples of industrial...
The Museu Nacional dos Coches, (National Coach Museum) is set in a surprisingly modern building overlooking the Afonso de Albuquerque gardens in Belem, next to the railway station. According to its architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, the minimalist, modern structure is more than a museum; it provides a public utility space for the city.
This present day museum building was completed in May 2015, but the museum had already existed for more than 100 years; the 'Royal Coach Museum', which had changed its name to the National...
The former royal Palace of Belém is now the official residence of the Portuguese president. The faded pink palace is guarded by sentries in traditional uniform and is generally not open to the public, although there is a small museum (Museu da Presidência da Republica) dedicated to the history of the Portuguese republic and its presidents attached.
The palace is situated on a small hill near the centre of the Belem district and is made up of an L-shaped structure with 5 main buildings and formal gardens.
The original structure was built in the 16th century and in 1723 King...
The elegant Baroque Igreja da Memória was built on the orders of King Jose I in 1760 as a gesture of thanksgiving for having survived an assassination attempt two years earlier. The location of the church marks the exact spot where the failed attempt on the king’s life took place.
Literally translated as the Memorial Church, the building has a striking white marble exterior with a number of lovely neoclassical features, including a large, white dome. The interior of the church is a pleasing, if a rather plain, mix of white marble and gilt. A tomb inside the church is the...
Celebrating the achievements of explorers during the building of Portugal's empire is the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Discoveries Monument). It represents a ship's prow featuring more than 30 statues of historical figures who played a big part in Portugal's Age of Discoveries. These include King Alfonso V, Vasco da Gama, Pedro Alvares Cabral and Ferdinand Magellan, with Henry the Navigator being the most prominent. On the pavement, just in front of the monument you...
One of the first and definitely grandest example of Manueline architecture to be found anywhere in Portugal; the Jerónimos Monastery in Belem is the embodiment of Portugal's exuberance during the Age of Discoveries. This is recognised in by the UNESCO World Heritage monument the monastery received in 1983.
Constructing such an opulent and grand building as the Jerónimos Monastery would have been extraordinarily expensive. However, it is no coincidence that the monastery was built to give thanks for the success of Vasco da Gama's...
Referred to simply as the CCB, this beautifully designed Centro Cultural de Belem was originally built to serve as headquarter for the Portuguese Presidency of the EU in 1992. It now provides over 100,000 square metres of space for a year-round calendar of cultural events, conferences, exhibitions and meetings as well as providing one of the best permanent exhibitions of modern art in Europe, a number of eateries and shops and much more. If you want to escape from the heat and crowds of tourists that flock to Belem, the centre has something for everyone and never...
World acclaimed private modern art collection with works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Jeff Koons, and more.
The Tower in outstanding example of 16th c. Manueline architecture. Standing on the waterside at Belem it was built as both a celebration of the age of the Discoveries and to defend the mouth of the river.
The Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the world’s largest aquariums and the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. It is located on a pier at the Parque das Nações, which was the exhibition grounds for the Expo 98. The Lisbon Oceanarium makes a fantastic family day out with thousands of fish, seabirds and mammals to see in one enormous central tank that is the equivalent of four Olympic sized swimming pools.
As well as fish there are a whole host of marine organisms and animals including penguins and seagulls, otters and sharks,...
From the early 1960’s to the mid-1970s Portugal fought a controversial campaign in Africa, attempting in vain to keep hold of its colonies there. Known as the Combatentes Ultramar (Overseas War) this conflict took the lives of over 9,000 soldiers, many of whom came from the Lisbon area. The bloody war was a factor which led to the toppling of the regime of Dr Antonio de Oliveira Salazar whose right-wing regime had held power since 1932.
Today Lisbon's Belem district is home to a striking was memorial dedicated to the memory of the...
This striking bridge spans the Tagus River at its widest section in the city of Lisbon connection the northern suburb of Sacavem to the historical south bank of the river near Montijo. The Vasco da Gama Bridge is a vast stricture that is 17 Km (11 miles) long.First opened in 1998 it is still the longest bridge in Europe. To this day it remains as one of the longest in the world with 10km of it passing over water and a suspension section that allows ships to pass through close to the Lisbon side.
Built to last it is said that the bridge can withstand wind speeds of up to 250 km/h (...
The stretch of coast along Costa da Caparica is home to a slightly strange geological feature where the cliffs rise not from the sea, but several hundred metres inland. This is most pronounced in the resort town itself where behind the apartment blocks is a small plain with fields. Suddenly, a steep escarpment rises up, and it is here that you will find the 16th century Convento dos Capuchos.
As you can imagine the convent commands a spectacular sweeping panorama over the coast below. In fact there is a viewpoint (miradouro) here from which you can see Lisbon and the hills of Sintra...
Baixa, literally translated as 'low', is situated in the gulf between the two main hills of the city and is the central business and shopping district of the capital. The 1755 earthquake...