Lisbon/Belém

Belém is a district in Lisbon, Portugal.

Get in

Take bus 728 to the west (direction Restelo), which follows the coast line and provides an express service with few stops. Or take the Cascais suburban train (line Cascais todos or Oeiras; the express trains don't stop in Belém) to Belém and walk to the attractions. Tram  15E  to the west (Algés direction) follows the Junqueira residential line. Check the route map inside the tram: it helps to find the right station for the most famous of Belém attractions. The extensive bus network also serves Belém from various departure points around the city and can be less busy than the tram.

To reach the waterfront attractions such as Belem Tower and Padrão dos Descobrimentos from the town centre/tram line, you must cross over the railway line by the footbridges – there is one at the railway station and another near Belem Tower, and a tunnel by the Monument to the Discoverers.

See

This monument-packed area is a must-see place, and it contains Lisbon's two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery.

  • 🌍 Ajuda Botanical Gardens (Jardim Botânico da Ajuda), Calçada da Ajuda (Tram stop Calçada da Ajuda (GNR)  18E ), ☏ +351 21 362 2503, . Daily 09:00-20:00 (summer), 09:00-18:00 (winter). The botanical garden of Ajuda is one of the oldest gardens in Europe and is considered the first in Portugal. After the earthquake that occurred in 1755, the homeless Portuguese royal family decided to build a new royal residence at Ajuda but also gardens around it. This 10-acre garden was laid out in from 1858-1873. €2. 
  • 🌍 Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB, Belém Cultural Center), Praça do Império, ☏ +351 21 361 2400. CCB is a 140,000 m2 (1,500,000 ft²) complex of artistic and cultural venues. It has spaces for meetings and conferences, performing arts (film, opera, ballet, theatre, and music), and art exhibits (art, architecture, design, and photography). (updated Jul 2021)
  • 🌍 Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) (Tram stop Mosteiro dos Jerónimos  15E ). Climbing the monument gives you a spectacular view of Belém. €4. 
  • 🌍 Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery), Praça do Império (Tram stop Mosteiro dos Jerónimos  15E ), ☏ +351 21 362 0034. Oct-May: Tu-Su 10:00-17:30; May-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-18:30; last entry 30 min before closing; closed 1 Jan, Easter, 1 May, 13 Jun, and 25 Dec. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the monastery was built in the 16th century and is an outstanding example of the Portuguese late Gothic Manueline style. €10 (adults), €5 (seniors/students/youth card), free (children under 12); free admission to the church and on first Sun of the month. Note that tickets are sold from the neighbouring archeological museum, not at the monastery entrance. (updated May 2017)
  • 🌍 Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT – Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia), Avenida Brasília, ☏ +351 21 002 8130, . W–M 11:00–19:00 (Jun–Sep: F Sa until 22:00), closed Tu. This museum of contemporary art is housed in a riverside building of contemporary design. Adults €9, kids 12+/students/seniors 65+ €6, kids under 12 free,15 Jul–31 Aug: 20% discount off all tickets (admission includes Tejo Power Station). (updated Jul 2021)
  • 🌍 Museu Colecção Berardo, Centro Cultural de Belém. 10:00-19:00. The permanent collection of the museum consists of the Berardo Collection, which is made up of modern and contemporary art, with major art movements like abstract expressionism, Abstraction-Création, action painting, body Art, constructivism, cubism, De Stijl, digital art, experimental art, geometric abstraction, kinetic art, minimal art, neo-expressionism, neo-plasticism, neo-Realism, op art, photography, photorealism, pop art, realism, suprematism, surrealism. Includes artists like Piet Mondrian, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock, and Francis Bacon. €5. (updated Aug 2019)
  • 🌍 Museu da Marinha (Navy Museum), Praça do Império, ☏ +351 21 362-0019. May–Sep 10:00–18:00 daily, Oct–Apr 10:00–17 daily. One of the most important in Europe, evoking Portugal's domination of the seas. Its colossal 17,000 items are installed in the west wing of Jerónimos Monastery, and include model ships from the Age of Discovery onward. The oldest exhibit is a wooden figure representing the Archangel Raphael that accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India. Adults €7.00, seniors 65+ & youths 4–12 €3.50, kids 0–3 free, family (2 adults & 2 youths) €18.00. (updated Jul 2021)
  • 🌍 Museu Nacional dos Coches (National Coach Museum), Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, Belem (Tram or train to Belem). 10:00-18:00. Housed in the former riding school of the palace, don't miss the world's largest collection of horse-drawn coaches and other royal vehicles. One of Lisbon's many unusual museums. In the "Museum street", Belem. €8. 
  • 🌍 Planetário Calouste Gulbenkian (Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium), Praça do Império, ☏ +351 21 097 7350, . Temporarily closed for renovations; planned reopening Oct 2021. The planetarium has 32 star projectors, capable of presenting more than 9,000 stars. It holds a chunk of moon rock given by U.S. President Richard Nixon. Adults €5, seniors 65+ & kids 4-12 €2.50, kids 0-3 free, family (2 adults & 2 youths) €12. (updated Jul 2021)
  • 🌍 Ponte 25 de Abril. This sister bridge of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was designed by the same architect in 1966 to connect Lisbon with the Setubal peninsula across the Tagus (Tejo) River. Formerly known as the Salazar Bridge, it was renamed after the Carnation Revolution which, on 25 April 1974, ended the dictatorship. 
  • 🌍 Statue to Afonso de Albuquerque. In front of the former Royal Palace of Belém, now the Presidential Palace, there is a massive statue looking out to sea, representing Afonso de Albuquerque, second ruler of Portuguese India in the early 16th century. 
  • 🌍 Tejo Power Station (Central Tejo, f/k/a Museu da Electricidade, Electricity Museum). This disused power station is now a museum dedicated to the science, industry, and history of electricity production in Portugal. Admission included in the price of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. (updated Jul 2021)
  • 🌍 Torre de Belém (Belem Tower), Av. Brasília (Tram stop Largo da Princesa  15E ), ☏ +351 21 362 0034. Oct-May: Tu-Su 10:00-17:30; May-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-18:30; last entry 30 min before closing; closed 1 Jan, Easter, 1 May, 13 Jun, and 25 Dec. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iconic fortified tower was built in the early 16th century in the late Gothic Manueline style as a fortress. It was said to be the last thing Portuguese explorers saw when departing, and the first thing they saw upon return. It was later used as a prison for political prisoners, and is today one of the most recognized symbols of Lisbon and Portugal. €6 (adults), €3 (seniors/students/youth card), free (children under 12); free admission on first Sun of the month. Combined ticket with Mosteiro dos Jerónimos €12, combined ticket with Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and Museu Nacional de Arqueologia €16, combined ticket with 5 other sites €25 (see website for details). (updated May 2017)

Eat

Drink
  • 🌍 Pastéis de Belém (Antiga Confeitaria de Belém), Rua de Belém 84 (take eléctrico #15E from Praça do Comércio, or the Cascais suburban train line from Cais do Sodré station, to Belém stop), ☏ +351 21 363 74 23. Daily 08:00-23:00. The most famous of pastelarias, and justly so. They are served right out of the oven there, with the side of confectioner's sugar and cinnamon. As you navigate through the tile-covered labyrinthine passages of the expansive shop, stop to look at the workers behind glass panels turning the endless stream of these delicacies, just baked, each in its own little ramekin, over onto the waiting trays. These are absolutely a must-eat and you can't possibly regret it. (updated May 2017)

Sleep

Connect
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