What To See Near The Monument To The Discoveries In Lisbon

The vast majority of tourists who come to Lisbon come to the Belém neighborhood, downstream from the Tagus. There is this recent construction work, but in a location steeped in history, being very close to the mouth of the river in the Atlantic. Not only that, but near the Monument to the Discoveries there are tourist assets of the first order.

The site of the Monument to the Discoveries

The Belém neighborhood was once a different entity from Lisbon, but today it is already integrated into the Portuguese capital. For that reason, public transport in the form of trams or buses goes there. And it precisely reaches very close to the Monument to the Discoveries, on the banks of the Tagus.

The Monument to the Discoveries, built in 1960, is unmistakable,  with its shape of a ship’s prow and with the reliefs of the greatest personalities of Portuguese history such as Vasco de Gama or Magellan. And, of course, that of King Henry the Navigator, in whose memory this monument was erected on the 500th anniversary of his death.

What’s near the Monument to the Discoveries

However, once we have seen the monument, we can take the opportunity to visit really attractive places in the surroundings. These are some of those places near the Monument to the Discoverers that you have to know:

1. The Jerónimos Monastery

One of the great jewels of Lisbon’s historical heritage is this monastery, which was ordered to be built by King Manuel I in the 16th century. In fact, this monumental complex is the most splendid example of an artistic style exclusive to Portuguese lands, and it bears the name of that monarch: the Manueline style.

In short, the Jerónimos is an essential visit during a trip to Lisbon, with its beautiful cloister and its spectacular church. And it is a few meters from the Monument to the Discoveries.

2. The Tower of Belém

Parallel to the construction of the aforementioned monastery, the Torre de Belém was built on the waters of the Tagus itself. A magnificent construction, 35 meters high on five levels.

And this tower is even closer to the mouth of the river than the Monument to the Discoveries itself. Something logical, since it fulfilled a surveillance task for all those ships that left and returned to make these discoveries, and also to trade across the seven seas.

3. The pasteis of Belém

A monument with a very different aspect is the pastry shop offered by the famous pasteis de Belém. An unmistakable and inimitable sweet that has become an emblem of the city and the whole country.

There you can taste the authentic pasteis, and do so in rooms steeped in history where tourists from all over the world sweeten their trip to Portugal. A must-do tasting if you visit the Monument to the Discoveries.

4. Museums near the Monument to the Discoveries

Museums abound in this area, and there are something for all tastes. At a short distance you can visit the Museum of the Navy, but also the Carriage Museum. Similarly, very close to the Monument to the Discoveries is the Museum of Popular Art, or a few streets further on is the Museum of the Presidency of the Republic or the Berardo Collection. Anyway, a bit of everything.

5. The Bridge April 25

However, if you get to the Monument to the Discoveries, what you have to do is look out over the Tagus, here turned into a huge estuary. A river that in the Lisbon capital seems more typical of other latitudes, since it has considerable dimensions.

This size is best appreciated by relating it to the huge 25 de Abril Bridge. This impressive infrastructure joins both banks and is visible from this point. A suspension bridge from the last 20th century that exceeds 2 kilometers in length. A work that in its day was a benchmark in Portuguese engineering.

Cover photo: Glória Moura Gonçalves