Lisbon Tour - Top 10 Places To Visit In Lisbon (Part 1)

Tradition, romance, culture, entertainment, excitement and modernity are some things you can find in Lisbon, the Portuguese Capital city with over three million inhabitants, region of natural contrasts full of authenticity and hospitable people.

Located in the right bank of the Tejo river, originally surrounded by water in all its perimeter, today’s thos tower is totattly incorporated in the dry land. Classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1983, the Belém tower is probably one of the most visited monuments in Lisbon. It is also a perfect example of the Manueline style, even though it also reflects oriental (mainly Islamic) influences. By visiting the interior you’ll be able to enjoy a wonderful view over the river and the western side of the city.

Built in order to celebrate the Age of Discorvery of the 15^th and 16^th centuries, it’s located near the Belém tower, on the estuary of the Tejo river. The monument itself is 52 metre-high and carved into the shape of the prow of a ship, headed by the figure of Prince Hery the Navigator and several other leading figures of the mentioned Age of Discovery while the façade takes on the form of a cross decorated by the Sword of the Order of Aviz.

And, like Belém Tower, it is possible to visit the top, where tourists can not only view the beauty of the river, but also the mosaic decoration that shows the world map and a wind rose that is in front of the monument.

This magnificent Monastery is considered the most successful achievement of the Manueline style (also known as Portuguese late Gothic), classified by Unesco as a Word Heritage Site and one of the top attractions of Lisbon. There you can visit the Church of Santa Maria with it’s impressive portals, and a spacious interior, and find the tombs of King Manuel, Vasco da Gama, the poets Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa, along with several other important Portuguese individualities.

On the west side of the monastery is situated the National Marine Museum, and in a stretch built in 1850 is nowadays located the national Museum of Archaeology.

Located in one of the highest hills in Lisbon, the castle received improvement and conservation interventions on the end of the 1990’s, and it is now, another of the highlights of the city. It offers its visitors beautiful gardens and viewpoints from where you can observe the splendour of the capital city. There’s also an exhibition area, a multimedia show, a dark camera and a thematic shop.

Like the three first places i’ve mentioned on this article, the Belém Cultural Centre is situated in the Belém quarter, and it’s dedicated to the promotion of arts, functioning as a meeting and conference centre also. With several auditoriums, shops, galleries, gardens, museums and restaurants the Cultural Centre holds many exhibitions and concerts over the year. For more information you can check the English version of the official website.