Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gama Bridge helped connect north and south Portugal, back when a freeway was a big
deal in this late-to-develop European nation. Built low to the water, the bridge's towers
and cables are meant to suggest the sails of a caravel ship.
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National Tile Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo)
—Filling the Convento da
Madre de Deus, the museum features piles of tiles, which, as you've probably noticed, are
an art form in Portugal. They've tried to showcase the tiles as they would have originally
appeared (note the diamond-shaped staircase tiles). While the presentation is low-tech,
the church is sumptuous, and the tile panorama of pre-earthquake Lisbon (upstairs) is fas-
cinating.
Cost and Hours:
€5, free Sun until 14:00; open Tue 14:00-18:00, Wed-Sun
10:00-18:00, closed Mon; located about a mile east of Praça do Comércio—10 minutes
on bus #794 from Praça do Comércio (in front of TI) or bus #759 from Praça dos Res-
tauradores, buses stop at museum entrance on Rua da Madre de Deus 4, tel. 218-100-340,
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25th of April Bridge (25 de Abril)
—At 1.5 miles (3,280 feet between the towers),
this is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The foundations are sunk 260
feet below the surface into the riverbed, making it the world's deepest bridge. It was built
in 1966 by the same company that made its famous San Francisco cousin (but notice the
