Belém Bound

We set off early, and went to the tourist information centre to purchase our 48hr Lisboa Card. This gives you free or cheaper entry into a large range of Museums and Monuments, and also free public transport, which is a nice bonus. We walked back to the area where the Time Out Market is to catch the train to Belem from the Cais do Sodre. There is so much to see in Belem, and so we picked a few things that were particularly appealing to us. The first stop was Padraõ dos Descobrimentos, which we thought was the Torre de Belém, but we were mistaken. This is a monument to Portuguese Discoverers, which was built in 1960 (our year of birth), and has a lift to the 6th floor and then only a further 20 or so steps to climb to the top. Here you have wonderful views across Belém, across the river, and back towards the city and of the Pont 25 Abril (a bridge that resembles the Golden Gate).

We did also visit the much older Torre de Belém later in the day, but decided not to climb it - there is no lift, you have to battle the crowds up a narrow staircase, and it isn’t as tall.Read more