Lisbon audio tour: Lisbon: The Age of Discovery

Lisbon: The Age of Discovery

Lisbon, Portugal
(30)

Walking Tour

|
45 mins
|
1.5mi

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.

Tour Producer

avatar

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.

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Map

Major Landmarks

  • Jerónimos Monastery

  • Praça do Império

  • Padrão dos Descobrimentos

  • Belém Tower

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

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.

Comments

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!

Posted by Johnson , about 4 years ago

Thank you for your feedback. Very pleased you enjoyed the experience. :-)

Posted by Lisbon , about 4 years ago

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.

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , over 4 years ago

Thank you for your opinion and tips.

Posted by Lisbon , over 4 years ago

A nice walk in the city!
Thanks for your details very useful

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , over 4 years ago

Thank you!

Posted by Lisbon , over 4 years ago

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.

Posted by Anonymous Explorer , over 4 years ago

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

Posted by Lisbon , over 4 years ago
Preview mode limited to first 3 locations.
Lisbon: The Age of Discovery