Belém is a picturesque district of Lisbon, which lines the banks of the river Tejo and is to the west of the golden gate bridge the Ponte de 25th Abril. To view an image tour of Belém please click here. Belém traditionally was the district where Lisbon's elite resided to escape the poverty and depravity of the inner city which encircled the castle. Belém today still retains an air of this opulence and grandeur.

Padrao dos Descobrimentos	Palacio Nacional de Belém
Centro Cultural de Belém	Pasteis de Belém
Ponte 25 de Abril	Torre de Belém
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos	The Old Lighthouse
Monumento Aos Combatentes Da Guerra do Ultramar

Portugal's golden age of discovery originated in Belém, such great explores as Vasco de Gama and Henry the Navigator departed from the harbours of Belém to explore uncharted oceans. Due to siltation from the river Tejo these harbours no longer exist and have been replaced by flat carefully maintained parks. In the era of Vasco da Gama, the site of Mosteiro dos Jeronimo was on the edge of the Tejo Estuary; nowadays it is 400m from the estuary bank.

 

The voyages of discovery which established the trade route from Portugal to south East Asia brought massive wealth to Portugal and Belém. Before Portugal’s golden age spice from south East Asia had to transported over land through inhospitable topographies and was controlled by Venice who had the dominance on Mediterranean trade routes. The discovery of a trade route by sea, though incredibly dangerous, could transport vast quantities, as Venice wavered Lisbon prospered. Of all trade which passed through Lisbon a 5% tax was levied, this funded the fanatical building program of King John I. During this era the Mosteiro dos Jeronimo was constructed with its beautifully carved main entrance.

 

 

As Portugal grew as a sea faring nation colonies were established and the produce returned to Portugal via the docks and harbours of Belém. In Brazil gold was discovered and funded even grander building projects including the palace of Mafra. Portugal was constant threaten by invasion and a construction program of fortifications was under taken, the result was the charming Torre Belém which once was in the centre of the Tejo estuary.

 

The high point of Belém was during the 18th century when rich merchants built grand mansions and expensive goods passed through Belém’s busy docks. The fortunes of Belém waned as Portugal declined under the rule of Spain and the Napoleon invasions. The primary docks of Lisbon moved further east, closer to the heart of Lisbon, leaving Belém side-lined during both the first and second world wars.

 

The silt which covered the ancient harbours provided a poor foundation for construction and allowed Belém to remain a very open and green district of Lisbon. The open space was transformed in to carefully laid parks and large green open spaces for the population of Lisbon to enjoy.

 

This green space of Belém was perfect for Salazar to construct his Expo in 1940 which included the building of the Museu da Electricidade (Electricity Museum), Museu do Centro Científico e Cultural de Macau (Macau Cultural Museum), Museu de Arte Popular (Folk Art Museum) and the Museu Nacional dos Coches (Coach Museum).

When Portugal hosted the 1992 European presidency, Belém was again the ideal location to construct the parliament building; the parliament building was later converted to the Belém Cultural Center. Due to the green parks and open space Belém is not tormented by traffic as with central Lisbon. The entire district has a relaxed atmosphere, even the large cruise ships glide calmly past into Lisbon's docks further up the river Tejo. Belém is designed to be discovered on foot in an unhurried manner and unlike the central Lisbon there are no steep hills to contend with. To read a walking tour of Belém please click here.

Districts of Lisbon - Alfama - Bairro Alto - Baixa - Belém - Chiado