Walking Tour
45 mins
1.5mi
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About the Tour
About the Tour
“The sea with an end can be Greek or Roman. The endless sea is Portuguese”, wrote the poet Fernando Pessoa.
Lisbon is a maritime city rich in history, architecture and stories. This tour will take you through the hallmarks of the Portuguese Age of Discovery, a fascinating time of kings, explorers, writers and navigators. This was a time steeped in adventure.
From periods of discovery to periods of autocracy. You'll hear about Estado Novo, the autocratic regime of the 1940's. Find out how they redesigned the Belém district to represent a romanticized idealization of the Portuguese Exploration.
You’ll see not only 16th century UNESCO World Heritage sites, like Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, but Estado Novo hallmarks as well, such as the Empire Square or the Monument to the Discoveries, on the waterfront.
Journey into Portuguese maritime history, and find out how a tiny country on the western edge of Europe became the world's first superpower.
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Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Lisbon with Pats
Hi, I am Pats, Founder and Cultural Tour Guide at Lisbon with Pats. I need to write, read, travel. ♡ Photography, Cinema, Architecture, History, Literature & Art.
Map
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Jerónimos Monastery
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Praça do Império
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Padrão dos Descobrimentos
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Belém Tower
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Directions to Starting Point
Directions to Starting Point
Start at Afonso de Albuquerque Square. It's the square right in front of Belém Palace and close to the Coach Museum, in Belém District.
How to get there:
By Train: Belém station
By Tram: 15
By Bus: 728 – 714 - 727 - 729 - 751
Bus/Tram Stop: Belém (the one prior to Jerónimos Monastery)
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
The Coach Museum, Pastelaria de Belém, Belém Cultural Centre, Belém Tropical Botanical Garden
Best time of day
Morning from 10am onwards. The monuments open at 10am and close at 5.30/6pm. Please note that last admissions are, in general, at 5pm/5.30pm on Winter Schedule and that the Monuments are closed on Mondays. In the Summer, avoid the hottest time of the day (1pm-3pm) or, at least, take enough water and sun protection with you.
Precautions
Beware of pickpockets on trams and buses to Belém.
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The tour was great. I loved learning who the people were who are depicted on the Monument to the Discoveries, and about Alfonso de Albuquerque. Belem is a beautiful area, and should not be missed! Thanks Pats!
Thank you for your feedback. Very pleased you enjoyed the experience. :-)
Good basics about the area. Loved the Pessoa insights near the end. Pats has a great voice and delivery — I wanted more stories and history tales during the walks between monuments. Please add more. It’s so much nicer than walking around with my nose in a guidebook or fixed on Google.
Thank you for your opinion and tips.
A nice walk in the city!
Thanks for your details very useful
Thank you!
I loved this tour and Belem is amazing. It real is a must. Not only did I get a real and clear understanding of the significance of Belem to Portuguese history, the beauty of it's monuments and the connection with the sea, I realised that without the app I would have been like so many tourists there, just taking photos and not understanding this fascinating place and it's importance to the world. The end of the tour at the Tower of Belem left me almost speechless. Thanks, Lisbon with Pats for sharing your knowledge and insight. Highly recommend.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.