Landmarks and tourist attractions in Lisbon
The Jerónimos Monastery, Rossio Square, Marqués de Pombal Square... Lisbon is a historic city, and one big open-air museum, where you'll find any number of interesting sights:
The most important squares
Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square)
The Praça do Comércio is Lisbon’s principal square. It is built on the site where the former Royal Palace was located.
Rossio Square in Lisbon
Rossio Square (Praça do Rossio), also known as Praça de D. Pedro IV, is the liveliest plaza in Lisbon. It houses landmarks like the National Theatre.
Marquess of Pombal Square
Marquess of Pombal Square is the centre of modern Lisbon. It is located next to Park Edward VII at the end of Avenida da Liberdade.
Unmissable landmarks
Lisbon Cathedral
Lisbon Cathedral, better known as Sé de Lisboa, is the oldest and most important church in the city. Its construction dates from the twelfth Century.
Jerónimos Monastery
The Jerónimos Monastery (Hieronymites Monastery) is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lisbon. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983.
Belém Tower in Lisbon
Belém Tower was first built to defend Lisbon. Years later, it was transformed into a lighthouse and customs center.
Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon
The Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) stands 170 Ft (52 m) tall. It was designed to commemorate the Age of Discoveries in Portugal.
São Jorge Castle
São Jorge Castle sits on the summit of São Jorge hill, a fantastic lookout point. It is one of the most emblematic symbols of Lisbon and is visible from anywhere in the city.
Lisbon Zoo
The Lisbon Zoo has more than 350 species of animals, making it one of the largest and most important in all of Europe.
Museums
National Coach Museum
Lisbon’s National Coach Museum features one of the most prominent horse-drawn carriage collections in the world. Extremely surprising and worthwhile.
Archaeology Museum
The National Archaeology Museum (Museu Nacional de Arqueologia) of Lisbon contains the most important archaeological collection in Portugal.
Other attractions
Oceanarium
The Oceanário de Lisboa is the second largest aquarium in Europe. It features over 15,000 water-dwelling animals and plants from over 450 different species
Bridges
Vasco da Gama Bridge
The Vasco da Gama Bridge is the longest bridge in Lisbon and Europe. It was built for the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition and measures 17.2 km long.
25th April Bridge
At 2,277 meters (1.4 miles) long, the 25 de Abril Bridge holds the record for the longest suspension bridge in Europe and was built by the same company that did the Golden Gate.
Staying in Lisbon for longer?
If you’ve visited the city’s top attractions and museums, we recommend checking out Lisbon’s nearby regions and towns, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, Óbidos, Fátima, Arrábida...
