The Belem Tower as being of World Heritage significance. In addition, it was from this port that Vasco da Gama sailed out in 1497 to find India. The following will describe how to spend one day in Belem. Because we had our Lisboa Card, the journey was simplified, and we saved money. The children enjoyed being able to choose anything they wanted, and they were rewarded for their efforts with a giant doughnut for dessert.
1st Stop: Coach Museum
It had a variety of carriages dating back a few centuries at least. It was interesting to see how many styles there were, especially given how elaborate some of them were.
2nd Stop: Pastéis
We decided to purchase the originals to evaluate them among the several other Pastéis found across the city. It was a decision that was not unanimous. Which is the glass elevator that will take you up to the bridge. Even though we thought the ones from Belém were less sweet, around half of us preferred them!
3rd Stop: Jerónimos Monastery
The church was very stunning. We were informed that they continue to do mass there twice a day. The Jeronimos Monastery was worth the effort, and the building was lovely.
4th Stop: Belém Tower
The tower was magnificent in appearance. To enter, you must first cross a drawbridge, and once inside, the first floor of the building has a commanding view of all the guns aimed at the lake. On the second story is a large room with windows that provide views of the water below. You may also get there by climbing to the very top. The highest levels had no windows and were not worth the extra money. The first floor, with a balcony you can go out onto, was well worth it. In addition to that, there has a stone spiral staircase, which is very impressive.
5th Stop: Gelato
A few locations along the tree-lined path go from the Belem tower to the Padro Dos Descobrimentos, where you may stop and purchase gelato. The gelato was not very good, but it kept the children happy.
6th Stop: Padrão
It features a unique and interesting entry area consisting of a big square with a map of the globe that displays all of the locations where Portuguese explorers landed and found throughout the era of discoveries, along with the nautical routes they used to get there. The monument in and of itself is fairly magnificent, and it has the appearance of a ship on which a group of explorers are standing and gazing out over the sea.
7th Stop: Pillar 7 Experience
This station is situated next to the bridge, and to collect your tickets and present your Lisbon Card, you will need to enter the building. In addition, there is a security checkpoint that consists of a metal detector and an x-ray machine to examine the contents of your luggage. Which is the glass elevator that will take you up to the bridge. When you reach the top, there is an exit onto a terrifying glass platform where you can walk out.
8th Stop: Underground Lisboa
When we returned to the tram, we encountered this odd halt. It featured a bar area, a nice sitting space, an outside basketball rim (while it wasn't the greatest, the kids didn't care), and an outdoor basketball rim! The whole location was an assortment of different containers.
9th Stop: It's Finally Time To Break For Supper
This vast food market has close to twenty distinct eateries inside its walls. From pizza to burgers and doughnuts, as well as meat, cheese, and traditional Portuguese cuisine, the menu has a wide variety of foods. The children enjoyed being able to choose anything they wanted, and they were rewarded for their efforts with a giant doughnut for dessert. It was also successful for Craig and me since we could get what we wanted, and because the venue had numerous bar sections, we could choose the beverage that best suited our tastes.
From there, we made our way on foot back to the Vacation Rental where we were staying. If you didn't feel like walking, you could always take the tram as you did before. Around 11:30 in the morning, we began our day by boarding a tram close to Rossio square, and by around 5:30 in the evening, we had arrived at Time Out for supper.
