If you plan to spend a full day in Belem like Jamie W and I did, then I suggest visiting this…read morecontemporary museum but only if you have time after the essential stops like the Jerónimos Monastery. I just don't view the collection here as indispensable for modern art lovers. You can tell by the one-off nature of the exhibits that it started as a private collection, this one from a self-made billionaire businessman named José "Joe" Berardo. In fact, the museum was named after him when it first opened in 2007, but now it's officially called Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC/CCB). The museum is housed inside a massive concrete complex called Centro Cultural de Belém. On the upper floor, there are singular pieces from the likes of Warhol, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, and Lichtenstein. Less interesting to us were the lower floors where they dive deep into highly abstract, conceptual, and minimalist art. The labyrinthine layout is confusing to navigate, but you can skip sections entirely if you're not engaged with the exhibits you see like Jeff Koons' "Poodle" (Photo 9). That happened a lot with us. Admission is 15€, and there's a combo bookstore and cafeteria where we sat a spell and had the 2,5€ Iced Lattes (Photo 8). Frankly, a half-hour is enough for a visit, and it was pretty easy to pick up an Uber from the front of the complex to get back to central Lisbon. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/6RJs_afSDR

Even if you're not a fan of cubism, surrealism, etc., a visit is worthwhile for the beauty of the…read morebuilding itself and the views, which you can enjoy from either the second floor restaurant or the comfy outdoor chairs provided so you can sit and relax. Bonus: was not crowded on a beautiful Sunday in late May when downtown Lisbon was jammed with tourists.

On my first visit to Lisbon sixteen years ago, I failed to visit this legendary monastery because I…read morecame on a Monday, the one day they're closed. I could resolve my disappointment only by devouring a half-dozen pasteis de nata across the street. This time I made sure Jamie W and I had reservations for a scheduled time-slot on a day other than Monday. When we arrived, there was still a long line of people and no shade from the blazing sun, but we got in quickly. I have to say the building did not disappoint. Built in the 15th century during the Age of Discovery, it took a full century to complete because the Manueline architectural style was so idiosyncratic. As a tribute to Portugal's seafaring history, the inlays on the stonework were made intricately with decorative paneling on windows, arcades, and pillars. Traditional stone columns were sculpted into twisted ropes, corals, anchors, and sea monsters. The result is a stunning level of craftsmanship epitomized by the beauty and meticulous detail of the cloister. The two-story structure is a prime example of flawless symmetry and historical significance. The church houses the tombs of legendary explorer Vasco da Gama and famous Portuguese poets. Monks from the Order of Saint Jerome used the monastery to pray, meditate, and offer spiritual discourses. You can do the same. Admission per person is 18€. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/3GGfbOtM3m

I won't review the experience inside the monastery but give timings on our arrival and the wait…read more We arrived around 9:45am and there was a relatively short line (maybe 30-50 people? The line got significantly longer in the next 30 minutes). At 9:55am they started letting 9:30am ticketholders in. We were let in around 10:15am (we had 10:30am entry tickets).

The Maritime Museum showcases the history and contributions of Portuguese navigators…read more My husband and I toured this museum for 8 euros each. In about one hour, we saw dozens of model and life-sized ships, canons, statues, paintings, coins, informational plaques, the king's and queen's cabins, a gift shop, and more. I felt most interested in the life-sized ships. Overall, I think that this museum is worth a visit if you are already in the area.

We were fortunate to come here as a Gate 1 tour. With tours you can skip the lines, so I like that…read moreabout them, but of course you are on everyone else's schedule. I was torn between admiration of a culture playing to it's strengths (being surrounded by water has it's perks), and Derek L's view of colonialism. There was exactly 1 acknowledgement of how the country benefitted from slavery. It's a slippery slope of acknowledging how one acquired wealth but also realizing it occurred at a major violation of human rights. The room of boats was awesome, esp being able to view it from above on a balcony. The gift shop had some nice holiday themed items.

1 of 2 Yelp reviews…read more Cut and pasted from the internet: "The monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or "Age of Exploration") during the 15th and 16th centuries." Quality/Quantity - A must visit, but we have been here so often and only stopped by because we had an all day train pass; see other reviews. So much history, just "Google" it and read. Kid friendly, so many field trips. Ambiance - Beautiful monument. Beautiful surroundings. Other tourist sites to visit. An easy train ride and a short walk. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success since 1939.

What can you do with a group of 33 people who are stuck together? If you were on the Titanic, you…read morecould put them in the last lifeboat and hope the floating door will fit you and Rose. Or if you're architect José Ângelo Cottinelli Telmo and sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida, you bring them together in a monument dedicated to Portugal's pivotal role in the Age of Discovery. It looks a bit like a conga line on an incline. Regardless, that's what they did in 1960 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death. It's an awesome work of art designed to resemble a ship's prow. At 170 feet, the monument features 33 prominent historical figures with Henry the Navigator leading the way as they at the Tagus River. On the eastern profile are the seafaring explorers including Magellan and Vasco de Gama. On the western profile are the key royalty, scientists, and missionaries who supported the explorers. It's free to walk around it like we did, and there's an option to pay 8,5€ to enter the museum and observation deck inside. You should also know you can get a free panoramic view from the curved rooftop of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology just a short stroll up the riverfront. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/SVKOeoChtd

Came in on the recommendation of somebody I met, and boy am I glad I did! This place is…read morefascinating! Interpretation is in several languages. Given how important this type of mode of transportation was earlier, it was just fascinating to see all this in one place. And the coaches of the royalty... So beautiful!

A wonderful chance to see magnificent coaches from over the centuries. Advance ticket sales, skip…read morethe line, are available online. We did not encounter long lines, but it certainly made entry very easy. Purchase of the audio tour was a good addition as it's used through a free phone app and your own headset. A wonderful representation of evolution of coaches, and certainly one of the larger collections in the world. We found this stop wonderful and pleasantly not crowded. You can complete the tour in two hours or less. Convenient facilities, including snacks and of course a souvenir shop are available. A highly recommended stop along the hop on hop off bus line that takes you around key locations in Lisbon.

Instead of taking the tram directly to Belem Tower, Jamie W and I got off at the Calvario stop…read more(where the LX Factory is) and walked the rest of the way along the Tagus River. It took about an hour extra to get to the tower, but it was a good step day and well worth the additional sights. Chief among them was the striking architecture of this wave-shaped building overlooking the river. Housed in both a futuristic building and a vintage industrial power station, the museum itself was closed, but the undulating rooftop was open and free to enjoy panoramic views of the Tagus River, the 25 de Abril Bridge, and the waterfront promenade. It reminded me of the similarly conceived Opera House in Oslo also dominated visually by its walkable roof (review: https://yelp.to/sdji5rX0Cu). RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/XS5EvqaG1J

The best part of this experience was walking alongside the water as a cool breeze was blowing and…read moretaking in the beautiful architecture of the building and gazing at the bridge and surrounding landmarks. Once inside I was bewildered by the scarcity of the "Art". And it somehow got much worse when I visited the galleries. I'm baffled that there is any cost to this attraction let alone 15 Euros and the cafe was no better. Wish I had read the reviews first. Definitely left completely bummed out. However the persons working the front desk were super kind and helpful and for that, they deserve all the stars.

This was the second time I visited this historic tower and the second time I didn't make it inside…read more And honestly, I'm just fine with that. This most recent time, it was closed for long-term renovations, and Jamie W and I were here just a couple of weeks before its reopening. I heard it wasn't that exciting anyway. I read the rooms were small and claustrophobic, and the staircase was narrow and steep dictated by a new traffic-light and siren system (oh dear!) The only motivation might've been the view from the top, but even with that, there's a nicer panoramic view of the Tagus River from the sloping rooftop of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) just a stroll to the east. We were just happy we got a view of the tower itself because we were worried it would be completely covered by scaffolding. After all, it was built in 1520 surviving as a true symbol of Portugal's Age of Discovery. RELATED - Exploring Lisbon? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/ayZwwRJHQd

2 of 2 Yelp reviews…read more Cut and pasted from the internet: "The monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or "Age of Exploration") during the 15th and 16th centuries." Quality/Quantity - A must visit, but we have been here so often and only stopped by because we had an all day train pass; see other reviews. So much history, just "Google" it and read. Kid friendly, so many field trips. Ambiance - Beautiful monument. Beautiful surroundings. Other tourist sites to visit. An easy train ride and a short walk. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success since 1939.

Do not waste your money to go here and just stick with the monistary (granted its only €2…read moredifference to do both). Its a very small museum and they have ridiculous rules. I wasn't allowed to bring in my purse (like a normal sized one, not a backpack) because there was a collection with a lot of gold. I figured it meant like there was a place with easily accessible gold. No, all of it was behind glass and truly not very impressive. They also make you go through a metal detector to visit the gold (which makes zero sense). You also go through the detector leaving the section (which makes sense) BUT they didnt even do anything if it alerted on someone leaving!!!! So there was NO reason to hold people up (I had to wait like 10 mins to get in to the collection). The rest of the museum was a run of the mill archeology museum.

The president of Portugal lives in Belem. The beautiful palace sits on top of the hill looking…read moredown at the Atlantic. There were two guards standing in front and we were told that it's not opened to the public. There is a museum but it is closed on Mondays.