Sunday, July 27th, 2025

Portugal was known for its hand painted tiles called azulejos. Tiles were an important part of Portugal’s colorful and ancient history and culture. We saw these ceramic pieces on buildings and roadways everywhere. Even though tiles began in Egypt, Portugal was influenced by the Arab invasion in the 13th century and tiles were introduced and flourished by the 15th century. They were part of their artistic heritage and became integral to the architectural landscape.

Today was a “City of Seven Hills” tour. Our guide was Tiago. He would be with us the next few days. Our first stop was the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery) located on the banks of the Tagus River.

This monastery was classified by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a World Heritage site. It dated back to the 1500s. It was such an impressive building with its Manueline architectural style named after King Manuel I who ordered the monastery built. It’s limestone facades were rich with lavish architectural ornamentation. The Manueline style was prominent during the Portuguese Renaissance and Age of Discoveries. It incorporated maritime elements and representations of the discoveries of Vasco Da Gama and Pedro Alveres Cabral.

The detailed entrance was a visual masterpiece carved with saintly figures and characteristics of the Manueline style.

The Refectory had a low vaulted ceiling lined with azulejo tiles along the walls.

The cloisters was another highlight of the monastery. The cloisters were built to offer a tranquil space for meditating monks. The stonework was incredibly ornate.

It was a good thing we visited first thing in the morning because after our tour the lines outside were ridiculously long!

After our visit to the monastery our guides had a treat for us. They purchased the Pasteis de Belém, an authentic Portuguese custard tart. Those who had one said it was delicious. (Being gluten free, a different dessert was purchased from the bakery).

The bakery began making the original Pastéis de Belém in 1837. They still use the ancient recipe from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Only the custard tarts baked at their Antiga Confeitaria de Belém have the name Pasteis de Belém any others that you eat in Portugal are called Pastel de Nata. These custard tarts were the most popular sweet treat in Portugal.

We passed the Ponte 25 de Abril which was a suspension bridge in Lisbon. It was ofter called the “Golden Gate of Lisbon” because of its resemblance to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. Both had the international orange color. This bridge opened in 1966, thirty years after the Golden Gate Bridge. It was originally called the Salazar Bridge after Portugal’s prime minister and dictator at the time. When his government was overthrown in 1974 its name was changed to the date of the new independence, April 15th!

In front of the Monument to the Discoveries was a world map on the pavement. It showed the routes of Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discoveries. The map was a gift from South Aftrica in 1960.

Along the riverbank of the Tagus River was the Monument to the Discoveries. It stood 170 feet tall and commemorated the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator who discovered the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde. The monument was inaugurated in 1960. It represented a caravel, a small sailing ship, and leading was Henry the Navigator.

Belém Tower was a UNESCO World Heritage site. The outside of the tower was decorated in the Manueline style although it was difficult to tell because of its renovation to preserve its stonework and structure it was covered. It was originally built in the 16th century and was a coastal defense system to guard the mouth of the Tagus River and Lisbon. It also marked the spot where explorers started and ended their journeys.

The statue of Christ called Cristo Rei, opened its arms to Lisbon. It was inspired by the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. The Catholic church in Portugal decided to have its own monument to Christ in Lisbon. The statue was unveiled in 1959.

We saw a Bordalo II, who was a famous street artist. He created art using garbage and his structures could be found throughout Lisbon, Portugal, and even internationally.

After our morning tour we caught the “Hop On Hop Off” bus to see more of Lisbon on our own because we had the rest of the afternoon on our own. One of our stops was the Castle São Jorge located on the highest hill in Lisbon.

Here we saw the archeological site that was still being unearthed, the 11 castle towers, fantastic views overlooking the city of Lisbon and much more. This fortress was built by Visigoths (a Germanic people) during the 5th century. The Moors (Muslim inhabitants) enlarged it in the 9th century. The castle was modified during Alfonso I of Portugal (1109-1185). He transformed it into a Royal Palace. In 1938 the castle was completely restored. It was in its glory from the 13th century to the 16th century. We saw the remains of the former royal palace, the beautiful gardens and part of the citadel from the 11th century.

As we walked through the beautiful castle gardens we saw peacocks, males, females, and babies.

There were beautiful views of Lisbon from the castle walls.

Rossio Square was a popular place for locals and tourists. It was characterized by its unique wavy cobblestone pattern! It gave the illusion of moving!

We passed the Marques de Pombal Square several times because it was an important roundabout that many of the popular streets lead from it. In the center of the square was a column dedicated to the Marques de Pombal with a bronze statue of him on the top with a lion by his side that was a symbol of power. Lisbon was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake under the Marques’ direction.

At one of the entrances to the Jardim da Estrela, a beautiful park was a monument to Padro Alvares Cabral. He was a Portuguese explorer who was credited with discovering Brazil.

The Monumento aos Mortos do Grande Guerra translated to the Monument to the Fallen of the Great War. This monument was unveiled in 1931 and was dedicated to the soldiers of the Portuguese Army that died during WWI.

As we walked around Lisbon we saw tiles, azulejos, on buildings. Below are a few examples.

Trams were iconic in Lisbon. The yellow trams have helped locals and tourists navigate the many hills since 1873 and they became electric in 1901.

In the evening we walked to SEEN, a rooftop bar that was recommended to us by our hotel lounge waitress. It was definitely the hotspot! You came here if you wanted to be seen! We visited because we wanted the views.

It was a very busy day! We saw so much more than we included in this post!