Belém Tower is a four-story fortress built from creamy lioz limestone that sits along the northern bank of the Tagus River. Originally constructed between fifteen fourteen and fifteen nineteen under King Manuel the First, the tower…
Essential Lisbon
This tour covers the city's most famous historical monuments, dramatic viewpoints, and architectural landmarks from the Age of Discovery to the 1755 earthquake.
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1. Belém Tower
2. Monument to the Discoveries
The Monument to the Discoveries stands along the northern bank of the Tagus River as a massive stone prow of a ship, frozen in the act of setting sail. Reaching one hundred and seventy feet into the air, the structure is carved from…
3. Jerónimos Monastery
The Jerónimos Monastery is defined by its ornate, expansive facade covered in Manueline carvings that incorporate ropes, anchors, and sea monsters. King Manuel the First commissioned the building in fifteen oh one to honor Vasco da Gama’s…
4. Carmo Archaeological Museum
The Carmo Archaeological Museum is defined by the roofless nave of the former Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Where a stone ceiling once sheltered the congregation, only a series of skeletal Gothic arches remains, framing the open sky…
5. Santa Justa Lift
The Santa Justa Lift is unmistakable for its tall, dark, Neo-Gothic iron tower that stands out against the surrounding stone buildings of the Baixa district. Rising forty-five meters, this vertical elevator was built to solve the…
6. Praça do Comércio
Praça do Comércio is a vast, U-shaped plaza defined by rows of ochre-colored buildings and arcades that open directly onto the Tagus River. Known locally as Terreiro do Paço, or Palace Yard, it stands on the ground where the Ribeira Palace…
7. Lisbon Cathedral
The Lisbon Cathedral, or Sé de Lisboa, is recognizable by its fortress-like appearance, defined by two massive, crenellated bell towers flanking a heavy stone facade. As the oldest church in the city, it stands as a rugged witness to the…
8. Castelo de São Jorge
The Castelo de São Jorge dominates the skyline from the summit of the highest hill in Lisbon. Its stone walls and eleven towers form a fortified citadel that has guarded this city since the eleventh century. While the site has held human…
9. Our Lady of the Mount Viewpoint
The Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is distinguished by its position as the highest viewpoint in Lisbon. It occupies the summit of the hill traditionally associated with Saint Gens, an early bishop of the city. A small, white chapel, the…