Located on the banks of the Tagus River, Belém is a district of Lisbon in Portugal. From here, Vasco da Gama- European explorer set sail in 1497 on his marine voyages. Belém is home to several museums, gardens, monuments and a pastry shop that sells irresistible custard tarts. The Belém Palace is the official residence of the president of Portugal. For us, Belém was a must-visit because Jerónimos Monastery, along with the Belém Tower, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read on to know how we went about exploring Belém.
Reaching Belém
The Lisboa card is recommended as it gives you free access to and discounts on several monuments, transportation, and services. After breakfast, we head to the Lisbon Tourism office to collect our Lisboa card. The staff tells us that Tram 15E, just outside, will take us to Belém. We step out and hop in, seeing the tram approaching. It is crowded, but we somehow manage to squeeze in. It is the most popular route that tourists use to get to Belém from Lisbon.
Jerónimos Monastery/ Mosteiro dos Jerónimos / Monastery of the Hieronymites
We soon arrive at Jerónimos Monastery, a magnificent Manueline architectural structure with rich ornamentation. There is a long queue to get entry into the monastery. We patiently wait in the queue for almost 45 minutes and finally get entry to the monastery. King Manuel 1 began the monastery’s construction in 1502, which took 100 years to complete! Monks of the order of St. Jerome, who served as spiritual guides for the sailors, lived inside the monastery, hence the name Jerónimos.
Stunning Cloisters
We climb a staircase and reach the first floor of the monastery. There are paintings of St. Jerome, a 5th-century scholar who translated the Bible into Latin, on the walls. We walk in the golden limestone cloisters (covered passageways) overlooking the central courtyard with a fountain in the middle of a lawn. Tourists pose and click pictures with delicately scalloped arches, columns that have beautiful ornamentation of vines, leaves and flowers.
St. Jeronimos Paintings @Rafiq Somani
Confessionals
After appreciating the upper level, we go to the lower level of the monastery. There are confessional doors on one side of the cloisters. The sailors and pilgrims stood in the church and made confessions to the monks in the cloisters through the iron grid.
Tombs
Next, we enter the Chapter House, which houses the tomb of Alexandre Herculano, a Portuguese novelist and historian. In another niche is the tomb of Fernando Pessoa, a famous Portuguese poet.
Refectory
The Refectory, or the ‘Monks’ Dining Hall’, has beautiful hand-painted tiles adorning the walls that depict scenes from the Bible, including ‘The Feeding of 5000.’
Church of Santa Maria/ Santa Maria de Belém Church
We exit the monastery and pass the Church of Santa Maria. We get a sneak peek from a partially open door. Carved pillars, high ceilings, an altar with paintings and candle stands in front. It’s a Sunday, and the church services are in progress, so tourists aren’t allowed to enter. We will have to wait for another hour to be able to go inside. The church has the tombs of Vasco da Gama, the explorer and Luís de Camões-the famous poet. Vasco da Gama was earlier buried in St. Francis Church in Old Kochi which we had visited several years ago. His remains were later exhumed and brought and laid to rest in Church of Santa Maria in Portugal. We would have loved to see his tomb here too but time was short and we decided to give it a skip.
Garden of Empire Square/Jardim da Praca do Imperio
In front of the monastery is the Garden of Empire Square, with the Luminous Fountain of Belém/ Fonte Luminosa de Torre de Belém in the centre. The musical notes of a flute mesmerise us as the flautist renders a beautiful, soulful composition. In another corner, a violinist entertains the crowd. People are sitting on benches, enjoying the sun and music, and making the most of the weekend.
Belém Museums
In the same building as the Jerónimos Monastery is the National Archaeology Museum, which is closed until 2025 for remodelling. The Maritime Museum is also attached to the monastery, and it has replicas of ships, paintings, and exhibits of the Portuguese’ rich naval and maritime history. Close by is the Marina Planetarium/ Planetario de Marinha.
We cross the street and see the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MAC) and Belém Cultural Centre/ Centro Cultural de Torre de Belém (CCB). Numerous artists have set up stalls at a flea market here, selling handmade products, candles, soaps, jewellery, artwork and clothes. It’s close to lunchtime, and we decide to eat some crepes and local popular gelato.
Garden of Belém Tower
After a quick lunch we decide to explore the Belém Tower. We stroll through the Garden of Belém Tower/ Jardim da Torre de Torre de Belém (Yes, lots of gardens and green spaces in Belém), where families are picnicking and relaxing. On the promenade leading to the tower are kiosks selling refreshments, drinks and snacks. A trio of women are sipping on a glass of wine and happily pose for us. Here is your chance to have some wine with a view.
Garden of Belem and Wine with a View @Shameera Somani
Belém Tower/ Torre de Belém
In front of the garden is the Tagus River, and the fortress-like Belém Tower consists of a bastion and a four-storey tower. Huge waves are sweeping over the bridge that connects the promenade to the tower. We almost mistook the river for the sea with high tides. The police have put up a ‘no entry’ signage forbidding tourists from visiting the tower. We are content admiring the Belém Tower from a distance. Built in 1515, the tower is an amalgamation of Gothic, Moorish, and Manueline architectural styles and served as a defence structure.
Replica of Tower of Belém/ Replica da Torre de Belém
We notice a bronze replica of the Belém Tower on the promenade just next to the actual tower. Portuguese sculptor Maria Leal da Costa created it to help blind visitors touch, feel and visualise mentally the features of Belém Tower.
Belém Waterfront Promenade
We walk from Belém Tower alongside the Tagus River and can see the 25 Abril Bridge, a replica of the Golden Gate bridge of San Francisco and a huge sculpture of Jesus Christ! It is the ‘National Sanctuary of Christ the King’ and resembles Rio’s ‘Christ, the Redeemer.’ Near the promenade are shops selling souvenirs, ceramics, and cork products like bags, wallets and handmade tiles. We see artists paint scenes of local attractions, another artist is carving coins using his craving tools.
Coin Carving and Local Art and Paintings @Rafiq Somani
Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho Monument
We pass a float plane model commemorating the first Atlantic flight from Portugal to Brazil more than 100 years ago. As we walk further, we see a marina with yachts anchored, a couple of restaurants and a lighthouse.
Monument to the Discoveries/ Padrão dos Descobrimentos
We can now see the iconic Monument to the Discoveries, a tribute to all the voyagers and marine explorers of Portugal, like Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama and the like. Some thirty-three figures are carved on the ramps of the monument. In front of the Monument to the Discoveries is the Wind Rose Square, which has a 50-metre-wide Compass Rose made of red, black, and beige limestone. In the centre of the Compass Rose is a 14-metre-wide world map. The map has markings of the places that the Portuguese voyagers visited. We were particularly drawn to India and smiled as we saw Goa, Diu, Daman and Calicut.
Other Attractions in Belém
Belém has other attractions, like the Earthquake Museum, Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), and National Coach Museum, which you may want to check out. Belem Palace/ Palacio de Belem is the official residence of the Portuguese president, and we passed it on our way to Belém . We saw the royal guards standing outside, and they reminded us of the British royal guards outside Buckingham Palace in London. All that walking and exploring will surely get you hungry. Do head to the Pastéis de Belém, where you can treat yourself to delicious custard tarts. We had our share at another bakery in Lisbon and were rushing to get back to the hotel, so we skipped it.
In the evening, we were back in Belém for the farewell dinner of Ansys President’s Club. The fine dining restaurant overlooked the Tagus River and provided a good aerial view of Belem.
Located on the banks of the Tagus River, Belém is a captivating district of Lisbon. Its rich history, Manueline architectural monuments, emerald green parks and gardens had mesmerised us. Walking along the riverside, listening to the musicians, watching artists do what they are best at had recharged us. The monotony of work and routines had been replaced with zip and zing.
GETTING THERE
Nearest Airport: Humberto Delgado Airport is the international airport of Lisbon, Portugal. From India, there are no direct flights to Lisbon. I flew from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi and then took a flight to Lisbon. My husband flew in directly from Toronto to Lisbon.
Where to Stay: We stayed at Hotel Tivoli Avenida Liberdade for the first four days and at an apartment in Rua das de Santo Antao by Marriott Bonvoy for the next four days. There are lots of options available depending on budget and comfort.
Best Time to Visit Belém: The weekends can get crowded with long queues. So prefer a weekday. Belém Tower and Jeronimo’s Monastery are closed on Mondays.
Travel Tip: Please get yourself a Lisboa Card. It is worth it. It gives free access to Jeronimo’s Monastery and Belém Tower and covers public transport like tram rides. Taxis and Ubers are also competitive compared to other European countries.
Other Lisbon, Portugal Blogs on ‘So Many Travel Tales’
Exploring Lisbon
A Food Trail in Lisbon
Exploring Sintra Portugal – A Fairyland
Exploring the National Palace of Mafra, Portugal
Shopping in Lisbon