Museu de Marinha (Praça do Império, Lisbon) – this museum, managed by the Portuguese Navy, chronicles that country’s extensive history as a maritime power. Located in the tourist-friendly Belém district, it is housed within the Jerónimos Monastery, and shows a range of historic objects – from archaeological items to paintings and scale models of Portuguese […]
Museu Nacional des Coches (Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, Lisbon) – located within the old Horse Riding Arena of the Belém Palace in Lisbon, this museum houses one of the most extensive collections of horse-drawn coaches in the world. The Arena itself was originally built in 1787 and was previously used for training horses and for […]
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (Rua das Janelas Verdes, Lisbon) – housed in a former palace of the Count of Alvor, this museum has collections of paintings, sculptures, textiles, furniture, drawings and other decorative art from the Middle Ages until the 19th century. It is said to be a good place to learn Portuguese history […]
Castle of Silves (Rua do Castelo, 8300-117 Silves/Algarve) – located 63 km. west of Faro, this castle is a 50 minute drive (via highway A22). This site originally had a Roma-era castle that was greatly expanded into its present form by the Moors between the 8th and 13th century (when Christian forces under the command […]
Cabo de São Vicente Lighthouse (Farol do Cabo de São Vicente, EN 268, Sagres) – built in 1846 and located on the southwest tip of Portugal, this lighthouse was constructed over the ruins of a 16th century Franciscan convent. This lighthouse happens to preside over one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe. The area’s […]
Lisbon – Strategically located in the geographic centre of the country, Lisbon (with a population of over half a million residents), acts as a monument of its past as Europe’s first seafaring and colonizing power (from the 1400s onward). Lisbon (the second oldest European capital after Athens) was home to explorers such as Vasco da […]
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia (Praça do Império, Belém, Lisbon) – founded in 1893, this museum (located within a former dormitory for monks) houses archaeological findings from all regions of Portugal. Artifacts shown here range from the Palaeolithic era to the Middle Ages. Admission: Adult (€5), Seniors (€2.50), children (under 14) – free. Free admission for […]
Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Silves (Rua das Portas de Loulé 14, Silves) — this museum, oponed in 1990, was built on the site of a 19th century residence where the water reservoir was discovered and which became the centrepiece of the museum. In an excellent state of preservation, it dates back to the Almohade […]
Museu Regional de Lagos (Rua General Alberto da Silveira, Lagos) — Inside is a vast collection of pieces divided into various sections: Archaeology, with pieces from the Neolithic, Luso-Iberian, Roman and Arab periods; Sacred Art, which occupies the sacristy of the church with paintings from the 18th century; the History of Lagos, whose exhibits include […]
Museu Municipal de Faro (Largo Afonso III, No. 14, Faro) — is mostly made up of local archaeological finds dating from the pre-historic through to the medieval with a major emphasis on the Roman. The Roman collection features pieces from the Milreu Ruins: the Ocean mosaic, two tombstones with inscriptions referring to Ossonoba and busts […]