One of the most beautiful buildings from the outside in all of Portugal is the adjacent Jeronimos monetary. This church, like all Catholic Churches in Portugal can be visited for free. In addition to hosting the tomb of famous explorer Vasco de gamma it is notable for its soaring ceilings and arches and the elephants seen around the inside, ancient symbols of power. As a gothic style church it is quite austere and has a solemn contemplative feeling with dim lighting.
As Lisbon is getting more touristed, when we arrived around opening time, 10 am, we were behind several large bus-tour groups. While there is no fee to enter, they do control the crowds by metering the number of people at a time. We spent no more than 20 minutes inside and we had the benefit of a private guide who explained important features of the structure and architecture.
Definitely worth a short visit. Come later in the day, say 4 or 4:30 for smaller crowds. read more