With the establishment of the kingdom of portugal by afonso iii, royal surveys, or inquiricoes gerais general inquiries, were made at his command to inspect titles of lands claimed by the nobility and clergy, determined that the. The easiest way to get there is by tramtake the no. Includes tours outside the city to cascais, sintra, and obidos. The belem district of lisbon a tourist guide lisbon portugal guide. The tour then stops to admire the figures of missionaries and sailors sculpted into the monument, before continuing on to one of the symbols of lisbon itself.
The belem tower is very important to the history of portugal. Its in a historic neighborhood known for its temples and the museums. Start your walk on lisbons most iconic monument the small belem tower. The 10 best hotels near belem tower in lisbon, portugal. Due to this and also its gothic beauty, the place has been declared a world heritage site. This steep, slopping park sits at the top, north end of avenida liberdade, lisbons prettiest thoroughfare and boasts a fine restaurant, eleven, that features glass walls affording views all the way downtown to the river. In 1983 it was declared a world heritage site by unesco. Adorning the cover of numerous postcards and guidebooks, a visit to lisbons beautiful, unescolisted belem tower features on almost every visitors itinerary. How to make a day trip from lisbon to belem routes and trips. The gorgeous stone building is a must visit while in lisbon. Mar 14, 2015 the belem tower, in lisbon, is a unesco world heritage site thanks to its historical importance dating back to the days of portugals discoveries.
Find out where it is and what the closest landmarks are on our interactive map. The belem tower is the most popular attraction in lisbon, at least according to some sources claiming it to be the most popular object in lisbon to make pictures of. Belem tower in lisbon how to get there, hours and tickets. Do you need a tourist map that can be saved as a pdf and includes all the top highlights you want to visit. Lisbon attractions map pdf free printable tourist map. Tower of belem, portugal definitive guide for seniors.
Archaeological evidence discovered along the margins of the tagus indicates that human occupation in the area of belem dates to the paleolithic era middle ages. With a blend of traditional romanesquebaroque architecture and postmodern styles, lisbon offers the best of old and new portugal. To explore the neighborhood, well visit 9 spots, that will give you a perfect experience of this part of lisbon. Visit belem tower on your trip to lisbon or portugal inspirock. The tower was built in the sixteenth century in the. Jeronimos monastery and belem tower are notable landmarks, and some of the areas popular attractions include lisbon zoo and lisbon oceanarium. Use our lisbon interactive free printable attractions map, sightseeing bus tours. Lisbon attractions map pdf free printable tourist map lisbon. Built between 1514 and 1520, belem tower is sometimes known as the tower of st vincent as its construction celebrated the expedition to india of vasco da gama, the famous portuguese explorer. Lisbon 1day hopon hopoff sightseeing bus tour, lisbon.
If youre taking the lisbon metro, go check out our lisbon metro map with attractions. The ultimate lisbon travel guide for food lovers download pdf. Lisbon free map best lisbon travel guide updated 2018. The symbol of portugal during the time of the great discoveries, the tower which is also called the tower of bethlehem or the tower of st vincent is a 30meter bastion featuring four small towers. The tower is about four storeys tall, making it a little over 98 feet. That way, you will know which places the train would stop. The monument to the discovers is another neighbour. In this lisbon travel guide for food lovers, youll find firsthand tips on what to do, how to get around, and most importantly, some incredibly delicious food you dont want to miss in lisbon. The number 15 tram, lisbon route e15 lisbon portugal guide.
Situated alongside the river tagus, at the point where it meets the atlantic, belem is the place from which the caravels sailed on their voyage of discovery. Weve got 68 hotels to choose from within just a mile of belem tower. Years later, it was transformed into a lighthouse and customs house. Belem tower, located in lisbon, is a magnificent fortress that in 1983 was named as world heritage site by unesco, along with nearby hieronymites monastery. Highlights include the unescolisted jeronimos monastery and the peculiar belem tower. In the map below, youll find the 9 spots, as well as the itinerary well follow. Portugal walking tour maps of the city showing tourist sites, bus and tram routesstops, taxi stands, and hopon bus routes. The tower marks the place from where portugals caravels sailed off to explore the great unknown, and is a symbol of the countrys days of discovery and empire. It was also a very important defense ground for the city of lisbon. See most of belems attractions and ride lisbons metro, trains, buses, and trams for free with the lisboa card. This was a very long walk and took us about an hour but it was a beautiful day so we enjoyed it the tower is definitely worth seeing if you have the time but i would suggest combining it with a trip to the carriage museum or to the monastery as we did as its a long way to go from downtown lisbon to only. The lisbon free map is available for free download below. Jeronimos monastery, belem tower, berardo museum dont forget to. The map of lisbon includes all information about the lisbons most famous attractions, such as the belem tower, pena palace, sao jorge castle, jeronimos monastery, and more.
Later the river changed its course and the tower is almost on the shore, connected by a short bridge. Free lisbon guides pdf download best lisbon travel guide 2016. This is lisbons urban oasis and its largest green space, with hothouses estufas filled with lush foliage and fountains. Explore belem holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. A fivestory defensive fortress is a beautiful building in portugals glorious era. Housed in the central tejo power station, one of the citys architectural landmarks, the museum opened in 2006 and portrays the evolution of lisbon s electricity. Belem tower is located in the belem district of lisbon, about four miles six kilometers west of the city center. For visitors, this is an extremely useful tram route, as it connects the baixa district and central lisbon to the belem district. The first two, at cascais and caparica, trafaria, were completed before the kingsdeath in 1495. Built during the city of lisbon s golden age, the monument also served as a ceremonial gateway to the city.
From traditional portuguese food to amazingly fresh seafood, lisbon is a city that will reward any food lover. Are you searching for a free downloadable and printable city map of lisbon. It was classified as a world heritage site in 1983 by unesco. Belem walking tour self guided, lisbon, portugal gpsmycity. It is located very close to the jeronimos monastery and the discoveries monument. We also pinpoint where the metro stations are found throughout the city, and present a map of lisbon airport. Belem tower lisbon portugal photos, video, planning tips. The tower aided greatly in the countrys colonial exploits by sea. In 1580, when lisbon was invaded by spanish troops in the course of a struggle for the portuguese throne, the tower fought and surrended to the duke of alba. With the development of the times, belem tower has been used for different purposes, and once defended the port on the tagus river. Belem tower was built between 1514 and 1520, making it about 500 years old. Belem is the charming district to the west of lisbon, and is the setting for many of the citys most iconic tourist attractions. Belem tower lisbon portugal photos, video, planning tips last updated on february 26, 2018 by claire, the travel planning geek the belem tower lisbon is one of the most iconic sites in the city and one of the most famous unesco sites in portugal in combination with the jeronimos monastery.
This steep, slopping park sits at the top, north end of avenida liberdade, lisbon s prettiest thoroughfare and boasts a fine restaurant, eleven, that features glass walls affording views all the way downtown to the river. Located about 9 kilometres 6 miles from downtown lisbon, belem is a riverside district, home to the citys finest monuments and museums. Back in the 15 th century, the king and his military advisers realized lisbon s existing defensive forts at the mouth of the tagus river didnt provide enough protection from seabased attack. It is a unesco world heritage site along with the nearby jeronimos monastery becaus. Constructed on the northern bank of the tagus river, this tower was used to defend the city. B uilt in 1515 as a fortress to guard the entrance to lisbon s harbor, the belem tower was the starting point for many of the voyages of discovery, and for the sailors it was the last sight of their homeland. Here is a guide how to visit the tower of belem by a combination of tram and foot from lisbon downtown.
We offer you the chance to design and download your own city map of lisbon. The tower is located at the mouth of the river tagus and initially was used to protect the city before it later became a customs center and lighthouse. The tower of belem is one of the three fortresses planned byking joao ii ofportugal to protect the portof lisbon that were ordered by the end of the 15th century. This is lisbon s urban oasis and its largest green space, with hothouses estufas filled with lush foliage and fountains. Belem tower is a popular spot for travelers visiting lisbon, and surrounding area of my favorite spots to spend a peaceful afternoon. It is a representative example of the manueline style, which was seen only in portugal in the 16th. It is located very close to the jeronimos monastery and together with the monastery it was made a unesco world heritage site back in 1983. To visit the belem tower you can choose whether to purchase the ticket that allows you to visit the tower or one of the many combined tickets that include other important monuments of lisbon, including the jeronimos monastery located not too far from the tower.
Plans were drawn up in the early 1500s to add a new fortified tower on the northern bank of the river, a little further downstream where the tagus was narrower and easier to defend. Belem, lisbon the guide to lisbons most monumental. Opening hours, location, price and history heres what you need to know to plan your trip. Lisbon is a city rich in culture and history a great place to explore. The 25th april bridge an important day in portuguese and lisbon history.
Make the most out of your trip to lisbon with a hopon hopoff ticket valid for 24 hours. Originally, belem was the location of lisbons shipyards and docks, and from here departed the 15thcentury voyages that discovered the sea routes to india, east africa and brazil. The tower ofbelem, which his successor manuel i didnotconsidera priority, was ordered. If youre looking for things to see and do in the area, you might like to visit jeronimos monastery and lisbon zoo. Belem tower, officially the tower of saint vincent is a 16thcentury fortification located in lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to lisbon. Mar 31, 2017 the lisbon free map is available for free download below. In terms of places to visit and sights to see, this elegant area of the city probably holds the record. This building on the tajo estuary stands in testament to lisbon s. Visit the famous belem tower and jeronimos monastery, both listed as a unesco world heritage site. We visited belem jeronimos monastery first and then walked over to belem tower afterwards. Its easy to get there if you follow these directions. Location of belem tower in lisbon on the map of lisbon. Alighting at belem railway station from lisbon and then heading towards the river brings you to the first point of interest on the belem tour the extraordinary electricity museum. Beautiful, culturally resplendent and immensely significant in portuguese history, belem is one of the jewels in lisbons crown.