Why you should visit Belém

Published by

storiesofmi

on

March 15, 2017

Belém is a beautiful district of Lisbon and you can easily get there by train. Honestly, it takes like 10 minutes and is really worth it. Belém lies beside the river Tejo and you can walk the promenade while admiring the stunning monuments. You will find many of them around and also lots of museums. So it’s good if you are interested in these things:) I would say you should plan at least half a day to spend there. You can also rent a bike everywhere to get around, but if you want to visit everything and take pictures, this could be difficult. Note that most places are closed here on Monday, so if possible visit another day. Here are a few things to do in Belém:

Visit la Torre de Belém

This is probably the most popular monument in Belém. The tower has once been used to defend the city from attacks from the sea side. At that time it was placed in the middle of the river. Now, because of the natural course of the river, it stands near the shore of it. The tower can be visited, but be prepared to stand in line to go to the top of it, as only a limited number of people are allowed at the same time on the top.

Be amazed by the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (the monastery and the church)

This is simply stunning. I strongly recommend visiting the monastery, as it is probably the most beautiful building in Lisbon. Built in the 16th century, it survived the devastated earthquake in 1755 without bigger destruction but has later been damaged by the troops of Napoleon. Now the monastery is rebuilt and has been declared a Unesco world heritage site.

Visit one of the many museums

In Belém, there are lots of museums you can visit. The most impressive one is probably the art museum in the cultural centre. It has an impressive collection of over 1000 pieces and is furthermore constantly host of temporary exhibitions.It is among the 50 most visited museums in the world and it is for free. Other museums in Belém are the carriage museum and seafaring museum.

Get an all-round view from the Padrao Aos Descobrimentos

This huge monument was built to honour the Portuguese discoverer who often left for the sea from this part of the town. You can go to the top of the monument to get a stunning view over Belém.

Walk through the beautiful parks

Belém has lots of beautiful parks. The biggest one is in front of the monastery and has a huge fountain in it. My tip is to grab a pastel nata and eat it on a bench in the refreshing shades of the park.

Monumento Aos Combatentes do Ultramar (the war memorial)

The place has been built to remember and honour the Portuguese soldiers who died in Africa during the 60s and 70s.

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Try the delicious pastel nata

Omg, these are so amazing!! It’s something like an egg tart you eat with cinnamon and it’s a Portuguese speciality. The best ones you will get at Patéis de Belém. You cannot miss it as there is always a (small) line in front of the shop.

Get the best frozen yoghurt

This was the first time I tried frozen yoghurt and I loooove it (I know, I’m a foodie^^). In Belém, you will see lots of small blue cars selling it. At first, I thought it may be a tourist dummy, but the yoghurt is actually really good!