Full Day Tour to the Heart of Lisbon

Located in Belém, formerly called Mosteiro de Santa Maria
de Belém and order to build by the king D. Manuel I., the
construction started at the beginning of the century XVI and
extended for a hundred years. This monastry is the most
remarkable portuguese monastic ensemble of it's time and
one of main hall-church in Europe. It was classified as a
national monument since 1907 and in 1983 a s a world
heritage by UNESCO. On July 7, 2007 it was elected as one
of the seven wonders of Portugal. Linked to the Portuguese
Royal House and the epic Discoveries, the Mosteiro dos
Jerónimos was, from a very early stage, internalized as one
of the symbols of the nation. Since 2016 it has the status of
national pantheon.

The Belém Tower is located on the right riverside of rio
Tejo, where once existed the praia de Belém. It was
originally surrounded by water in its entire perimeter. The
monument is an architectural icon from the reign of D.
Manuel I. Over time, the tower lost its defense function of the
Tejo line and began to be used for dungeons. The
monument stands out for its implicit nationalism, such
characteristics refer to the typical architecture of a time when
the country was a global power (at the beginning of the
Modern Age). Like the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, it was
classified in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
elected as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal in 2007.

The Castelo de São Jorge is located in the parish of Santa Maria Maior. The castle's first fortresses date back to the 1st century BC, having been rebuilt several times by various peoples and given different names. The current name derives from the castle's devotion to São Jorge,
patron saint of knights and crusades, made by order of D. João I in the XIV century.
In the first half of the XX century, being already in an advanced state of ruin, in 1940 monumental reconstruction works were carried out. For this reason, contrary to what one might think at first sight, the "medieval character" of this military ensemble is due to this reconstruction
campaign, and not to the preservation of the castle's space from the Middle Ages to the present day. It stands in a dominant position on the highest hill in the historic centre, offering visitors one of the most beautiful views over the city and the Tejo river estuary.

Alfama it is the oldest and one of the most typical neighborhoods in the city of Lisbon. Its name derives from Arabic al-hamma (aã~Jl), which means 'source of warm waters, good waters'. Most of its buildings withstood the 1755 earthquake. It has the most spectacular views from the
viewpoints of Portas do Sol, the Torre da Igreja de Santa Cruz do Castelo and the Santa Luzia.
Alfama is a very peculiar neighborhood, it resembles an old village not only in appearance but also in having a relatively small and close community.

The Panteão Nacional, created by Decree of September 26, 1836, it has been installed in the church of Santa Engrácia, since December 1, 1966. Before the completion of the works (from 1836 to 1966), the Panteão Nacional was installed in the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. It is intended to honor and perpetuate the memory of Portuguese citizens who have distinguished themselves for services rendered to the country, such as in the exercise of high public positions, in high military services, in the expansion of Portuguese culture, in literary, scientific and artistic creation or in defense of the values of civilization. The honors of Panteão can consist in the deposition of the mortal remains of distinguished citizens or in the affixing of a tombstone
alluding to their life and work.

At the Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen Viewpoint, formerly the Graça Viewpoint, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the city. The popular neighborhood of Graça developed at the end of the XIX century. Behind the viewpoint is the aforementioned Augustinian monastery, founded in 1271 and rebuilt after the earthquake.

The Garden of São Pedro de Alcântara was built in 1864. The original project dates back to the 18th century, where El-Rei D. João V had a 20 meter high wall built with a view to creating a Mother of Water - a monumental deposit that it would extend the Águas Lives Aqueduct to Graça. However, the earthquake of 1755 imposed other priorities and the land began to serve as a dump for dead animals that were thrown from the wall below. Only in 1830 did the Royal
Police Guard make the space their "garden". Five years later, Lisbon City Council, following the victory of Liberalism and the recovery of executive powers, converted the space into a public garden. The garden has a small lake and a viewpoint.

Praça do Comércio, formerly Terreiro do Paço was the site of the palace of the kings of Portugal for about two centuries. It is one of the largest squares in Europe, measuring around 36,000 m2. It is considered a historical symbol of political power and manifestation of capital in
Portugal. In 1511, King D. Manuel I transferred his residence from the Castelo de São Jorge to this location by the river. The famous Martinho da Arcada café is located in one of the buildings on the square, the oldest in Lisbon, and one of Fernando Pessoa's favourites. It was for a long time the noblest entrance to Lisbon and, on the marble steps of Cais das Colunas, coming from the river, heads of state and other prominent figures were disembarked and received. In the center of the square, you can see the equestrian statue D. José, erected in 1775 by Joaquim Machado de Castro, the main Portuguese sculptor of the 18th century.

The Casa dos Bicos or Casa de Brás de Albuquerque is one of the centers of the Lisbon Museum. The house was built in 1523, by order of D. Brás de Albuquerque. The facade is clad
in stone trimmed in the shape of a diamond tip, the "beaks" showing a clear Italian Renaissance influence. The José Saramago Foundation now operates at Casa dos Bicos,
hosting the library of the Nobel Prize-winning writer for Literature, as well as a permanent exhibition on his life and work. The ground floor has been, since July of 2020, the Archaeological Center of the Museum of the City of Lisbon, where you can find a collection that traces the city's history from the Roman occupation to the XVIII century.

The Teatro Nacional Dona Maria I has a capacity for 948 people seated and is located in Praça de D. Pedro IV in Lisbon. It was inaugurated on April 13, 1846, during the celebrations of the 27th anniversary of D. Maria Il, but the history of the D. Maria I National Theater began ten years before its inauguration. In the revolution of September 9, 1836, Passos Manuel assumed the direction of the Government and one of the measures he took that same year was to instruct writer and politician Almeida Garrett to think about Portuguese theater in global terms and present a plan for the foundation and organization of a national theater that contributes to the civilization and moral improvement of the Portuguese nation. The emergence of a national theater was not only a cultural issue but, above all, a political one, and assumed as a matter closely linked to the nation's own independence.

The Praça do Rossio, officially called Praça Dom Pedro IV, it has been one of the city's nerve centers. This lower part of the city was called Valverde, due to a tributary of the Tejo river.
On the left side of the National Theater is the Rossio Railway Station with its imposing façade built in 1887. It is one of the main stations in Lisbon.

The Parque Eduardo VII of England is the largest park in the center of Lisbon, being better known only as Parque Eduardo VII. It was baptized in 1903 in honor of Edward VII of the United Kingdom, who had visited Lisbon the previous year to reaffirm the alliance between the two countries. Until then, it was called Parque da Liberdade and was built in the first half of the XX century. The space it occupies extends over about twenty-five hectares.

The Palácio Nacional da Ajuda or Paço de Nossa Senhora da Ajuda is a Portuguese national monument. Its construction began at the end of the 18th century (1795) to replace the Real Barraca. The initial project, designed by Manuel Caetano de Sousa, underwent a profound change with a new project in 1802. With neoclassical inspiration,
by the architects Francisco Xavier Fabri and José da Costa e Silva, the Palace was inhabited with several interruptions, and remained unfinished. It functioned as Royal Palace with king D. Luis I (1838-1889), who settled there permanently from 1861 onwards. In the vestibule, the 47 statues signed by Portuguese artists are worth mentioning. Ended with the establishment of the Republic in 1910, the interior of the Palace was turned into a museum, as of 1968, presenting a
relevant collection of furniture, gold, silver and jewelery.

The Royal Treasury Museum/Crown Jewels is a must-see for lovers of unique pieces. Comprising 11 sections, the museum exhibits a large part of the assets of the former Portuguese Royal House, including jewels from the Crown and private collections of the royal family. Located in the new wing of the Ajuda National Palace, the museum offers a unique experience with inestimable historical, artistic and cultural value.