The 5 most striking HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Praça do Império

Belém ➁

+351 21 362 0034 mosteirojeronimos.pt

This UNESCO World Heritage Site was built in the 16th century, in the rich and ornate Manueline style. It’s the finest illustration of the power and wealth of the Portuguese nation during the Age of Discovery. Don’t miss the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões.

242 Torre De Bel M

Avenida Brasília

Belém ➁

+351 21 362 0034 www.torrebelem.pt

243 Esta O Do Rossio

Rua 1º de Dezembro

Baixa ➅

244 Convento Do Carmo

Largo do Carmo

Chiado ➅

+351 21 347 8629

245 S De Lisboa

Largo da Sé

Sé ➆

+351 21 886 6752 sedelisboa.pt

Torre de Belém (a World Heritage Site) is unarguably the most beautiful historical prison facility in the world, even if it was originally built (in 1515) for the military defence of the city. It’s Lisbon’s most significant landmark, an icon of the city and of Portugal as well.

Lisbon’s historical central station, built in the palatial neo-Manueline style, is probably one of the most beautiful railway stations in the world. The renovations have given it back all its grandeur, while creating spaces for offices, restaurants and a hostel.

The dramatic ruins of the Gothic Carmo Convent are one the few visible reminders of the daunting 1st November 1755, when a gigantic earthquake and tsunami virtually destroyed the city. The convent church stood ground but lost its roof, which was never replaced.

Lisbon’s Sé cathedral, built in the 1100s, is the city’s finest remaining example of the Romanesque architectural style. With defensive towers and battlements it looks more like a castle than a church. It holds a myriad of treasures, including royal tombs, a famous nativity scene and a Gothic period cloister.