LISBON - Portugal - page 72

funds were collected to build this statue in appreciation. After 10 years of construction, it
opened to the public in 1959. It's now a sanctuary and pilgrimage site, and the chapel in-
side holds regular Sunday Mass. The statue was designed to be seen from a distance, and
there's little reason to go to the trouble of actually visiting it. If you do visit, an elevator
will take you to the top for a panoramic view: From left to right, see Belém, the 25th of
April Bridge, downtown Lisbon (Praça do Comércio and the green Alfama hilltop with
the castle), and the long Vasco da Gama Bridge.
Cost and Hours: €4, daily 9:30-18:00, tel. [phone].
GettingThere: To get to Cristo Rei, catch the 10-minute ferry from downtown Lisbon
to Cacilhas (€2, 4/hour, more during rush hour, from Cais do Sodré Metro/train station
follow signs to Terminal Fluvial, which serves many destinations). The bus marked 101
Cristo Rei takes you to the base of the statue in 15 minutes (3/hour, exit ferry dock left
into the maze of bus stops to find the #20 stop with the “101 Cristo Rei” schedule under
the awning). Because of bridge tolls to enter Lisbon, taxis from the site are expensive.
Consider taking a late-morning ferry to Cristo Rei; catch a taxi from the statue to Porto
Brandão and have lunch there (see here ) ; and ferry direct to Belém and see the sights. Fer-
ries also go direct from Cacilhas to Belém. For drivers, the most efficient visit is a quick
stop on your way to or from the Algarve.
Belém District
Three miles west of downtown Lisbon, the Belém district is a stately pincushion of im-
portant sights from Portugal's Golden Age, when Vasco da Gama and company turned
the country into Europe's richest power. Belém was the send-off point for voyages in the
Age of Discovery. Sailors would stay and pray here before embarking. The tower wel-
comed them home. The grand buildings of Belém survived the great 1755 earthquake, so
this is the best place to experience the grandeur of pre-earthquake Lisbon. After the earth-
quake, safety-conscious (and rattled) royalty chose to live here—in wooden rather than
stone buildings. The modern-day president of Portugal calls Belém home.
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of independence from Spain, a grand exhibition
was held here in 1940, resulting in the fine parks, fountains, and monuments. Nearly all
of Belém's museums are closed on Monday (though the Monument to the Discoveries is
open Mon May-Sept).