We went to Torre de Belem in Lisbon! Portugal recently. We bought a original water color from the artist. We saw the suspension bridge and the Christ the redeemer statue we saw the Geronimo cathedral and the river as well as the park, the Monument to the Discoveries are close by. This is not to be missed. We had a Belem pastry. Delicious
It really amounted to a tour of the monastery and chapel, which was good but extremely crowded, and entrance to the museum of modern art which was not my thing. It was more a museum to the mediocrity of 20th century non-artists. Just my opinion.
Think I would just see the chapel on my own.
The tower is easy to get to from the train station. If you want to go directly there, stay on the side of the tracks where you get out. The tower is about a 8 minute walk from the train. Make sure you take the stairs to the top of the tower. Great views of the bridge and the monument. Loved the 'stop and go' lights to climb the tower!
Tip: visit early on Sunday before noon for free entry and to avoid dense crowds. Belem is a town west of the Lisbon city center so you have to take a 10-minute train ride to arrive here, but it's worth a visit if you have a hour or two to kill. This tower served as a fortress at the mouth of the river to protect the city during the Middle Ages, so you'll get quite a history lesson when you visit. It's an interesting experience, but isn't a must-see if you have a packed schedule. It does offer a good view of the bay when you get to the top, although the tiny spiral staircase leading you there is very inefficient considering the volume of visitors it must accommodate. Bottom line is that you should visit if you have time, but forego if you don't.
Growing up in Johannesburg's East suburbs we had a chain of coffee shops called Belem with a logo of a white tower - it had always intrigued me as to what this place was and why it was so important to the Portuguese community. Belem tower is right on the river Tagus (although it was originally on an island in the river) and is one of the few major buildings to survive the earthquake of 1755. I suppose it represents the golden era of Portuguese navigation / trade / exploration and conquest. Getting there is really fantastic as you can catch the metro to Cais do sodre (end of the Green line) and then a tram / train to Belem Station. Then you can walk along the Tagus river taking in a view of the 25th April Bridge and marinas as well as a number of museums in the area and the fascist Padro dos Descobrimentos. Worth a half a day if the weather is good
