Tourist attractions Lisbon

Opened in 2008 in the Alcântara docks , this huge cultural centre is located in the former refrigerated cod stores. The museum documents Portugal’s long-established relations with the Orient: Chinese porcelain, Indo-Portuguese furniture, textiles, p..

The museum occupies the 17C palace of the counts of Alvor at the foot of Lapa Hill. The displays of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts from the 12C to the early 19C all reflect the history of Portugal, in that they are all by Portuguese artist..

Situated in undulating gardens dotted with water features (on which glide geese and ducks) and modern sculptures, this museum opened in 1995 to house the Gulbenkian Collection. It displays its exhibits particularly well and is especially rich in Euro..

The south door has an abundance of statues, including one of Henry the Navigator. The interior is outstanding, in particular the vault which surprisingly withstood the 1755 earthquake and the slender architectural lines of the pillars of the nave. ..

This magnificent 16C Hieronymite monastery was built in 1502 and is a glorious result of the great discoveries of the period. Vasco de Gama had returned from India with his vessels laden with riches, thus enabling the architects to embark on a very a..

This masterpiece of Manueline art is of dazzling sculptural richness, measures 55m across, and is laid out over two levels: the lower one, by Boytac, has broad arcades with fine colonnettes decorated in the late Gothic and Renaissance styles; the upp..

The tower was originally built in 1519 in the middle of the Tagus to defend the Hieronymite monastery and to serve as a lighthouse. Since the earthquake altered the course of the river, this five-storey Manueline tower now stands next to a beach. The..

The finest square in Lisbon is where the royal palace destroyed by the earthquake once stood, hence its name, the Terreiro do Paço (Palace Terrace). It is lined by classical buildings with yellow façades resting on galleries with arcades and is an ex..

Built in the late 12C, shortly after the city had been captured by Alfonso Henriques, the cathedral (like those in Oporto, Coimbra and Evora) was also a formidable fortress. It has been frequently remodelled; the third chapel contains the 14C Gothic..

With its alleys ( becos ) cut by steps, Alfama has preserved the layout it had before the earthquake and renovation has not spoiled the original character of this quarter with an Arabic name: al-hama means fountain and refers to the hot springs in ..

Situated in the former palace of the Counts of Azurara (17C), the museum tells the story of everyday life in Lisbon in the 17 and 18C through a series of small, intimate rooms, decorated with azulejos and frescoes. The rooms have Portuguese and Ind..

The castle, the heart of the city, is perched on a hillside. It was built by the Visigoths in the 5C, enlarged by the Moors in the 9C and modified in the reign of Alfonso Henriques. It was used as a royal residence from the 14 to the 16C. The castle'..

The museum, located in the 16C convent of Madre de Deus , shows how the panels of tiles were made and their development. The oldest azulejos are displayed on the walls of the great cloister and the small Manueline cloister: note the panoramic view..

Covering 26ha, Laranjeiras Park is both a zoo and public garden. The lower part includes the rose garden; there are enclosures for nearly 2 500 animals, many of which are exotic species. Note that the dolphinarium can only be visited during shows. A ..

This beautiful hunting lodge, built by João Mascarenhas, the first Marquess of Fronteira, in 1670, shows a strong Italian Renaissance influence, particularly in the gardens. The quality and variety of the azulejos , covering every conceivable flat s..

The Carriage Museum , founded by Queen Amelia in 1904, has a splendid collection of carriages, the oldest of which is the magnificently painted four-wheeler brought to Portugal by Philip II of Spain in the late 16C. Other notable examples include th..

The heart of monumental Manueline Lisbon, Belém overlooks the Tagus, and is now home to the Belém Cultural Centre . This is a pleasant, airy district with villas and gardens, set on a hillside dominating the river. It has strong links with Portugues..

The Monument to the Discoveries is an invitation to visit this museum of Portugal's maritime past with its impressive exhibition of a variety of model ships used for many different purposes: Asian vessels, 18 and 19C yachts, merchant navy steam shi..

Opened in 2007, this museum located at the heart of the cultural centre displays part of the collection of Madeiran tycoon J Berardo. A chronolgical and thematic tour covers the major European and American art movements of the 20C and 21C, taking in ..

The aquarium was designed by American architect Peter Chermayeff and has five principal tanks recreating various habitats typical of the coastal areas of the Arctic, Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This giant study centre dedicated to marine lif..