Belém

The green suburb of Belem has monuments and museums celebrating Portugal's prominence in navigation, leading the west in explorations of Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Far East. Today it is a spacious green suburb with many gardens, parks and monuments that are well worth a visit. Amongst Belém's attractions are the Jerónimos Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belém Cultural Centre, Rua Vieira Portuense and Torre de Belém

Torre de Belem is a must see, even if it is probably the most photographed monument in Portugal. This tower is linked to Portugal's Golden Age of Discoveries as the site where the famous navigators set sail to discover the world. Originally it served as a fortress. Now local people seem to gather here around the park during the summer weekends.

High above Belem stands the Ajuda Palace, built early in the nineteenth century to replace the royal palace, which had been destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. It is an awesome edifice and is seen on entering the port of Lisbon.

The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos was established by King Dom Manuel I in 1502 for the success of Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. The monastery showcases Portugal's native Manueline style, combining Gothic and renaissance forms. The symbolic tombs of Luís de Camões and navigator Vasco da Gama lie in two opposing transepts. Inside the monastery the octagonal cloisters of the courtyard drip with overdone stone carvings, a contrast to the simplicity of the rose gardens in the center. In the same complex is an intriguing ship museum. The globes and maps from the mid-17th century show the boundaries of the continents with incredible accuracy.