I had been here recently on a tour of the Aqueduto das Aguas Livres, which ends here. Today I was back with my wife for the Klimt Monet immersive art experience. We purchased the premium seats which allow you to sit on a stool that sits on a wooden platform which floats on top of the reservoir. The show only lasts 30 minutes - dedicating the first 15 minutes to the works of Monet and the latter to Klimt’s work, both beautifully set to music. The setting is enchanting and the fusion of the 360 degree projection of their paintings and the music is the perfect fusion of these two art forms. The view is probably just as good if you stand on the perimeter of the reservoir, which most people did, so I would say either one is fine. There is a cute square/park right in front where you might want to sit for a few moments on one of the park benches to get in the mood for the “espectaculo,” which is Portuguese for “show.” Since this begins at 14h30, we timed it perfectly and enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the Restaurante Aguas Livres - a very traditional Portuguese restaurant serving authentic, solid, filling Portuguese foods. It made for a perfectly delightful afternoon.

Across the park from where we were staying was an impressive section of the old city aquaduct and reservior building. These days the building plays host to spectacular artistic light shows, at the time of our visit we were entertained for thirty minutes with the projection of Monet and Klimit artworks, it was a beautiful experience. We could not fully understand the pricing of the tickets so chose the dearer option which gave us access to the viewing platform in the centre of the building with stools rather than standing at the perimeter of the reservior which we found out later (still would have been wonderful). Inside the building appears to be well looked after, while the outside garden is not.

Just north of Largo do Rato (you can get there by taking the yellow metro line, which has its terminus here) there is a massive building which houses inside the cistern into which the waters of the Aqueduto das Águas Livres flowed, whose arcades, running along the western side of the praça das Amoreiras, converge at the center of the northern side of the building. It is precisely in the aforementioned square that you must arrive to access the cistern: a gate on the southern side of the square leads into the area pertaining to the Reservatório Da Mãe d'Água das Amoreiras, you follow the avenue that runs along the eastern side of the building to reach to its facade, on the south side, which overlooks a small garden and where is the entrance which is accessed by climbing a staircase. The interior is evocative, with the powerful pillars which, coming out of the large swimming pool (which appears square but is in reality a rectangle 29 meters long and almost 25 wide), support the arches which support the stone vaults of the cistern (which are located at a height of 9 meters from the surface); a parapet forms the perimeter of the swimming pool, almost 8 meters deep, and on the side facing the entrance, in the centre, is the waterfall that once fed the cistern (you can pass under it); a long staircase to the right of the waterfall goes up to the panoramic terrace of the building and along the climb you can also see the beginning of the aqueduct tunnel. At the moment the cistern room is used for a multimedia installation, an immersive 3D show with a different theme (from Klimt to Dalì, ancient Egypt, etc.): these are paid shows that take place on certain days/times, outside of which, as when we were, entry is still allowed free of charge and in addition to visiting the cistern in its entirety you can see the play of light projected on the walls and vaults of the cistern, with the reflections on the water ; obviously it is not the real show (for example, 3D glasses are not provided) but the images that flow, if on the one hand they can "disturb" the usual tourist visit, on the other hand increase the charm of the environment.