A Day in Belem, Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal

The district of Belém is home to some of the most elegant historical buildings in Portugal. It may sound dull to visit a watchtower and monastery, but these monuments are far from ordinary. In fact, seeing the dazzling designs on Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery may end up being a highlight of your time in the area. Today Belém is a suburb of Lisbon and makes a great day day trip from the capital.

The port city of Belém has been a favourite casting off point for sailors since the 13th century. The furthest they travelled at this time was the Canary Islands. It was during the country’s Age of Discovery though, that Belém and its port really started to gain importance. Most of the large expeditions occurred in the 15th and 16th centuries when Portuguese ships sailed for Morocco, India, Sir Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil and more. These successful exploits brought a lot of money and prestige to the city. As this was happening, noble families began building summer mansions and palaces in Belém and the wealth of the city grew even more.

In the 16th century the two most famous, and most fabulous buildings in Belém were built. Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery enhanced the city’s image and are firmly connected to the Age of Discovery. Luckily both buildings survived the Lisbon earthquake. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).