Location: Lisbon
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What to do and see in Lisbon, Central Portugal: The Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day
The museums of Lisbon celebrate the rich history and culture of this Portuguese capital city. The Maritime Museum is perfect for kids (and grown-ups!) who adore all things nautical, while the Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves is a hidden gem of colorful artwork. To fully appreciate the city’s dramatic stone architecture you can take a guided walking tour, or customize your own tour, making sure to visit the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, and the UNESCO World Heritage site the Torre de Belem.
Restaurants in Lisbon
1. The Best Portugal
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 344 reviews
Wine Stories & Tours That You'll Never Forget! The best way to find portuguese little hidden treasures. ''You can't buy Happiness, but you can book a Wine Tour. And that's kind of the same thing.'' We believe that providing the best tailor made experiences is about creating a momentum for good memories, the best memories! And thats why, based on our experience we have carefully crafted tour itineraries that you'll love to live.
Reviewed By marsham882
We did back to back private tours with Armando and they were the highlight of a two week trip. The excursion to Alentejo was absolutely amazing! Armando picked out three totally different wineries and each was magnificent. He was so easy to work with, very knowledgeable on wines and accommodating to all our desires. We started up in northern Alentejo and visited two vineyards with incredible wines, we then stopped for a handpicked lunch in an actual castle followed by an afternoon discovering the Roman ruins village of Evora with a stop at yet another wonderful winery in town. The following day we visited Castle de Pena and Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, he was so knowledgeable about the history and led us to the highlights of each. We then had a marvelous seafood lunch right on the ocean! We highly recommend Armando and The Best Portugal, it is a must when visiting Lisbon!!
2. Calouste Gulbenkian Museum - Founder's Collection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,443 reviews
With works ranging from Antiquity to the early 20th century, the Founder’s Collection comprises more than six thousand pieces gathered throughout Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian’s life, including Egyptian Art, Greco-Roman Art, Islamic Arts, Painting, Sculpture and European Decorative Arts. Works by great masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt, Turner, Degas and René Lalique’s largest set of jewels are just a few examples of what can be found in one of the best private collections in the world. Besides the Founder’s Collection, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is also comprised by the Modern Collection, which features the largest and most complete collection of modern and contemporary Portuguese Art. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is surrounded by one of the most emblematic modern gardens in Portugal, open all year. The Museum offers a wide range of facilities to improve the visitor’s experience: three cafeterias overlooking the Garden, a museum shop, free cloackroom service and free Wi-Fi.
Reviewed By bIuetraveler - Menlo Park, United States
The Calouste Gulbenkian collection is a must-see for art lovers and is widely considered one of the best art collections in Portugal. From Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph panels to breathtaking 20th century jewelry, this collection offers some of the finest artifacts, tiles, vases, and paintings. I personally suggest that you bring earbuds, as the museum has a free app that serves as an audio guide. Admission is free on the weekends, but during the weekdays, 12 and under is admitted free, ages below 29 and above 65 are admitted with a 50% discount. The museum also has free WiFi.
3. Mosteiro dos Jeronimos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30,695 reviews
No expense was spared when they built this masterpiece of Manueline and Gothic architecture in 1502, which was inspired by Vasco da Gama who is buried here with other great navigators of the past.
Reviewed By dewdee - Bangkok, Thailand
This 500 year old monastery is absolutely beautiful on the inside out. If you're a history buff, I recommend buying the combo 12 euro ticket which gives you access to the archaeological museum adjoining the monastery as well. Every step is worth a photo and the architecture is really stunning inside. There is also a special exhibit right now on the upper level explaining the historical timeline of the place compared alongside important milestones in Portugal's history. Very informative and educational. This is a worthwhile visit because the surrounding Belem areas are all tourist attractions and is accessible by direct bus or tram from the city center.
4. Oceanario de Lisboa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39,694 reviews
Opened in 1998, the Oceanário was the centerpiece of the XXth Century's last World Fair, themed "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future", and eternally binds Lisbon to the Oceans.MissionThe Oceanário’s mission is to promote knowledge of the oceans and bring up the public about the duty of protecting natural heritage, through changing their daily habits.While walking through impressive and unforgettable exhibits, visitors are encouraged to learn fascinating things about the oceans and, more importantly, how to make decisions in their daily lives that actively promote the conservation of nature.
Reviewed By southerntraveller49 - Andalucia, Spain
Although tickets are a bit pricey compared to other attractions, the Oceanário justly deserves a visit. Besides its striking contemporary architecture, the contents are also outstanding. The day I went, there was an original and amazing temporary exhibition on undersea forests by a Japanese artist, accompanied by beautiful music from the talented Portuguese composer Rodrigo Leão. Beautiful for your eyes and ears. The permanent exhibition is also impressive and complete. It attracts with its twilight atmosphere every kind of visitor and leaves you with the impression of having had a glimpse of a misterious and riveting world, utterly apart from our daily lives. The Oceanário has a very varied public, but it seems to be focused on families. That implies children, especially if you go there on weekends, but most of them were well behaved, not bothering your visit at all. There are a bunch of other activities run by the organisation, but even if you opt for a single free visit, you´ll notice that this place has the positive trait that you can feel free here to visit the place at your pace. You can go around some sections rapidly if you want, or linger for a while in others and then come back again. It allows a very free vision of the place, it doesn´t give the impression as if there were a prefixed itinerary that you´d have to follow always.
5. National Museum of Ancient Art
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,254 reviews
Considered to house the best collection of Portuguese and European art, this museum features works by Gonclaves, Bosch, Raphael and more.
Reviewed By yonas249
This small museum houses many important Portuguese furniture, and European art like Hieronimous Bosch, 9 beautiful paintings by Zurbaran, Raphael, Piero de la Franchesca and others. There is an interesting exhibition of portraits and forbidden art. It is a worthwhile visit for art lovers. Yona Y.
6. Museu Nacional do Azulejo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,198 reviews
A must-see for people interested in the history and design of ceramic tiles, this specialty museum houses a splendid collection of decorative tiles dating from the 15th century to the present.
Reviewed By sharonhW264WM - Las Vegas, United States
The amazing museum is located in the former Convent of Madre de Deus (founded in 1509) so the building (the cloister, vestry, upper choir, and St. Anthony’s Chapel) and its original tile work are spectacular examples of 1500’s art and architecture in themselves. In Portugal glazed tiles have been used since the 13th century. Initially tiles displayed plain colors and geometric shapes, but by the 16th century more decorative patterns, based on Hispanic, Moorish, and Islamic knot work and geometric patterns, emerged. These were gradually replaced by European motifs with plant and animal patterns, as well as gothic and romantic motifs. The museum’s collection traces tile development from the second half of the 15th century to present day. It was wonderful to wander from room to room and watch the stylistic changes in the tiles as time progressed. We saw everything from giant religious wall presentations and altarpieces, to fully-tiled rooms and stairwells, to hunting scenes and flowers, to fairytales and legends retold in tiles, to colorful tiled maps of Lisbon. St. Anthony’s Chapel was especially impressive—beautiful barrel-vaulted ceiling with a huge dome, blue and white tiled scenes along the back and side walls, and baroque gilding throughout. This museum is truly one of a kind—a Lisbon must see.
7. Panteao Nacional
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,147 reviews
The construction of the church of Saint Engracia – currently the National Pantheon of Portugal - began towards the end of the 16th century and was only completed in the 20th century. This 400-year delay originated the proverb “Obras de Santa Engracia” meaning any work that never ends. A unique testimony to Portuguese Baroque art the National Pantheon stands on a hill overlooking the river Tagus being an icon of Lisbon’s cityscape. From its terrace you can have a majestic view of the city and its river. On the inside the Pantheon houses the remains of some of the most distinguished personalities of the country.
Reviewed By eddg2019
Another of the Alfama’s hidden in plain sight gems, the National Pantheon is located in what was formerly the Church of Santa Engrácia, which had a long and turbulent history. The church was converted into the National pantheon in 1916 and contains the tombs of important Portugeuse rulers and historical figures as well as a number of cenotaphs. It is worth it to climb the six flights of stairs to the interior of the dome, which has a walkway that affords magnificent views of the intricate floor patterns below. This is not for anyone with vertigo or a fear of heights. The dome level has an exit leading out onto a broad terrace that provides panoramic views over the Alfama neighborhood and beyond.
8. Aquario Vasco da Gama
9. Igreja da Sao Vicente de Fora
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 582 reviews
Reviewed By eddg2019
If you want to see excellent examples of Portuguese tiles, in addition to the Tile Museum. This is the place to come. The monastery houses a museum containing the largest collection of Baroque Portuguese tiles. Don't miss the nearby church of Sant Vincent. The church’s façade is in the austere Mannerist style of the late Renaissance. It also has two towers while the interior has a barrel ceiling and huge dome. Be sue to climb to the rooftop for spectacular views. Saint Vincent is the patron saint of Lisbon, but his popularity pales in comparison to that of St. Anthony.
10. Museu Militar de Lisboa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 228 reviews
Reviewed By Margo7850p
This was a big surprise. The Portuguese Military Museum is very well situated near the main thoroughfare that connects Lisbon with the Santa Apolonia train station. Interesting museum with an original exhibition of weapons . Valuable medieval, renaissance and contemporary exhibits . The works on display are excellent and illustrate the different historical periods and history of Portugal. The building is palatial with numerous paintings, azulejos, polychrome, etc. It tells also the story of Portugal through paintings and tiles. It was a great experience. Sunday entry is free until 2 p.m. I recommend visiting.
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