Even though we didn't have a lot of time or a plan about what to do on our Lisbon trip, we knew very well that we wanted to go to Belém.
The fact that it is right on the water alone makes it very attractive and that's exactly why this small part of the city has become so famous. It has also been classified as a Portuguese cultural heritage by UNESCO.n. So it should definitely be on your list when you visit Lisbon.
It is also home to some of the most interesting sights in Lisbon
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Let´s start with the most impressive and formidable building in Belém, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, whose foundation stone was laid in 1502 and is one of the highlights of Portuguese architecture.
I´ve seen a lot of buildings on our travels but this monastery is really impressive, which is probably also due to the construction time of no less than 7 decades. You will only understand what I mean once you stood in front of it.
We really would have loved to spent more time there and see it from inside, but time wasn´t on our side. Furthermore the line to only get a ticket was about 30min long, not to mention the next line to get into the monastery. We went into the church that is in the same building but no photos were allowed.
So let´s hop to the next sight that is only a stone's throw away.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos
This oversized monument, which stands directly opposite the monastery, directly on the Tejo, was erected in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Heinrich the Navigator.
This 56 meter high monument, which can also be viewed from the inside, is intended to commemorate the age of discovery. It shows a total of 33 important personalities who, however, did not all live at the same time, above all Heinrich the Navigator.
I was really very impressed by the size of the monument and kept wondering how long it took to create the individual people. Because only one foot of a person seemed so huge from below.
Torre de Belém
A short walk from here is the real landmark of Belém, the Torre de Belém. In addition to the nearby monastery, the Torre de Belém is one of the few structures that survived the catastrophic earthquake in 1755. In 1521, 6 years after it was commissioned by King Manuel I, it was completed and has since stood for the heyday of the Portuguese maritime and trading empire.
To me it looked a bit like out of a fairy tale and somehow I though that it does not really fit into the picture. But thats only my own opinion. Nonetheless, it is a stunning building that is definitely a must-see.
There is a big park in front of it that invites you to sit down, relax and soak in that awesome view. By the way, it is not the only park, Belém is well known for it´s many parks and green spaces.
Pastéis de Belém
Next to all these amazing sights is the world famous Pastelaria Pastéis de Belém and since we´re addicted to the Portuguese egg tart called Pastéis we had to go there.
But a Pastéis in this Pastelaria is not the same, this one is different. They use their very own recipe since 1837 and only a hand full of people know it. The fun fact is that it wasn´t them who came up with the idea and the recipe. It was the Monks from the monastery next to the cafeteria. The monks had the idea for this recipe because they always had a lot of egg yolks left, as they needed the egg white for various other things. In 1834 the monastery closed an the monks sold the recipe to the Pastelaria.
However, the story is not as exciting as the Pastéis are delicious. But see yourself. Once you had one of these little tarts you can´t stop, you get addicted. Believe me ;)
Even from only seeing the photos of these amazing tarts I get hungry. There is another difference to the other Pastéis you will get in Portugal. Only here you can put cinnamon and powdered sugar on top.