Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.torrebelem.pt
; admission €5, free 10am-2pm Sun; 10am-6.30pm Tue-Sun)
Jutting out onto the Rio
Tejo, the World Heritage-listed fortress of Torre de Belém epitomises the Age of Discov-
eries. Francisco de Arruda designed the pearly-grey chess piece in 1515 to defend Lis-
bon's harbour and nowhere else is the lure of the Atlantic more powerful. The Manueline
show-off flaunts filigree stonework, meringue-like cupolas and - just below the western
tower - a stone rhinoceros .
The ungulate depicts the one Manuel I sent Pope Leo X in 1515, which inspired Dürer's
famous woodcut. Breathe in to climb a narrow spiral staircase to the tower, affording sub-
lime views over Belém and the river. Crowds can be intense on weekends (especially
Sunday) - a warning to claustrophobes.
Museu Colecção Berardo
MUSEUM
(
www.museuberardo.pt
; Praça do Império; 10am-7pm Tue-Sun)
Culture fiends get their con-
temporary art fix for free at Museu Colecção Berardo, the star of the Centro Cultural de
Belém. The ultrawhite, minimalist gallery displays billionaire José Berardo's eye-popping
collection of abstract, surrealist and pop art. Temporary exhibitions are among the best in
Portugal. Also in the complex is a cafe, a restaurant that faces a grassy lawn, a bookshop
and a crafty museum store.
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia
MUSEUM
(National Archaeology Museum; 213 620 000;
www.museuarqueologia.pt
; Praça do Império; adult/child €5/free,
free 10am-2pm Sun; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun)
Housed in Mosteiro dos Jerónimos' western wing, this
intriguing stash contains Mesolithic flintstones, Egyptian mummies inside elaborately
painted sarcophagi and beautifully wrought Bronze Age jewellery. Even more curious is
the collection of statues dedicated to Roman deities.
Museu Nacional dos Coches
MUSEUM
(National Coach Museum; 213 610 850;
http://en.museudoscoches.pt
;
Praça Afonso de Albuquerque; adult/child
€5/2.50, free 10am-2pm Sun; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun)
Cinderella wannabes feel right at home at the
palatial Museu Nacional dos Coches, which dazzles with its world-class collection of
17th- to 19th-century coaches. The stuccoed, frescoed halls of the former royal riding
