Portugal’s Museums

Just outside Braga, the Monastery of Tibães offers a journey through Portugal’s Baroque past. From gilded altars and silent cloisters to vast gardens and woodland trails, this restored Benedictine monument reveals both grandeur and ruin.

The Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon is Portugal’s last royal residence, where history and grandeur meet. Wander through opulent state rooms, step into the new Royal Treasure Museum housing the crown jewels, and enjoy sweeping views over Belém and the Tagus River.

In Coimbra’s heart stands the Monastery of the Holy Cross — the cradle of Portugal’s identity and the resting place of its first kings. A masterpiece of Manueline art, it remains a living monument to faith, learning, and nationhood.

At first, you might think a tile museum sounds exceedingly dull. But Lisbon’s National Tile Museum, the Museo Nacional do Azulejo, is a revelation. It’s an art museum in Lisbon, dedicated to the azulejo, traditional tilework of Portugal and the former Portuguese Empire, as well as of other Iberophone cultures. Housed in the former Madre de Deus Convent, the museum’s collection is one of the largest Read More

Valença is a walled frontier town overlooking the River Minho, where centuries of history meet the easy rhythm of northern Portugal. Once a vital stronghold defending the nation’s border, today its cobbled streets, fortress walls, and riverside walks draw visitors in search of heritage, culture, and unforgettable views across to Spain.

In Évora’s Chapel of Bones, thousands of skulls and bones line the walls, not as a spectacle, but as a meditation on life, death, and the passage of time.

The Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo (St. Michael the Archangel) is located in the Portuguese town of Nazaré, in the Leiria District. It was built in 1577 but has been remodelled and expanded numerous times since then. The fort is a major tourist attraction, owing in part to its closeness to a surfing region renowned Read More

The highly identifiable Santa Marta lighthouse rises on what was originally Cascais's southernmost point (the marina now extends beyond the point). Built in 1868 on the ruins of a 17th-century fort, the lighthouse only became operational after the site was decommissioned as a military installation. Santa Marta's characteristic blue and white striped tower rises 8 Read More

Looking for a fix of culture but don’t know where to start?  Lisbon offers an attractive selection of museums, from Classical art to Modernism, from historic palaces to buildings designed by contemporary architects. Here are ten picks of the 62 museums you can find in Lisbon. 1. Lisboa Story Centre Lisboa Story Centre Memories of Read More

The Nau Quinhentista, a replica of a Portuguese vessel from the early 16th century, was designed by Rear Admiral Rogério d’Oliveira and built at the Samuel & Filhos shipyards. With a length of 27.50 meters, a width of 7.70 meters, a height of 4.75 meters, and a weight of about 300 tons and carried 180 tons Read More

  Batalha Monastery, also known as Mosteiro Santa Maria da Vitória, is a magnificent gothic-style monastery located in the Portuguese village of Batalha. It was constructed to celebrate the country's triumph against Castile in the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, and it is now one of Portugal's most prominent historical and cultural icons. In this Read More

  Builder and General characteristics Viana do Castelo Naval ShipyardsTonnage3467 gtLength322.99 feet (98.45 m)Beam45.00 feet (13.72 m)Draught7.87 feet (2.40 m)Propulsion2 engines of 1,400 bhp (1,000 kW) eachSpeed12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)                   Here’s a detailed look at the Gil Eannes — its story, its role and why it’s interesting to visit. 1. Origins & Read More

There are certain places where history isn’t just remembered; it feels alive. Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon is one of them. Nestled in the Belém district along the Tagus River, this monumental structure seems to hum with centuries of devotion, ambition, and curiosity. From the sun-drenched limestone façades to the whispering cloisters, Jerónimos is a masterclass Read More

Rising above the bay of Cascais, the Palácio dos Condes de Castro Guimarães feels part castle, part dream. Built at the turn of the 20th century and filled with rare art, manuscripts, and ocean light, it offers an intimate glimpse into Portugal’s aristocratic past and enduring coastal beauty.

Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe. Its history has shaped the landscape, defined culture, and influenced architecture. The castle is perhaps the most evocative of all the historical structures found throughout the country. Portugal is densely fortified with castles. They can be found on hills and mountains, as well as plains and Read More

Saint George’s Castle is visible from nearly every point in Lisbon city. Its earliest elements originate from the sixth century, when it was reinforced by the Romans, Visigoths, and, finally, the Moors. It was a royal Moorish residence until 1147, when Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, seized it with the assistance of northern European crusaders Read More

Ponta da Bandeira, also known as the Fort of Our Lady of Penha de Franca (or simply Lagos fortress), is a small fort located on Lagos’s waterfront, where the Bensafrim River empties into the sea and overlooks Praia da Batata beach. From 1577, Lagos served as the administrative capital of The Algarve, and this fortress, Read More

The Monastery of Jerónimos, a masterpiece of 16th-century Portuguese architecture, is a National Monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983). It is situated in one of Lisbon's most prestigious neighbourhoods, overlooking the Tagus River in a historically and architecturally significant location. On the monastery's three-hundred-meter-long, magnificent front is the Church's richly adorned South Portal, which Read More

.   The National Coach Museum (Portuguese: Museu Nacional dos Coches) in Lisbon, Portugal, offers visitors a captivating journey through the history of transportation and royal pomp. Its collection, spanning from the late 16th century to the early 19th century, showcases the evolution of carriages from various European countries, each reflecting the artistic styles and Read More

The Porto Cathedral is one of the city’s oldest structures and one of the most significant local Romanesque structures. Contrary to popular belief, the present Cathedral of Porto was not erected under the patronage of Bishop Hugo, as the pre-Romanesque cathedral is still referenced in the De Expugnatione Lyxbonensias, which was still in existence in Read More

Portugal’s corpse bride. THE PASSIONATE BUT FAILED LOVE STORY BETWEEN Pedro, Portugal’s crown prince, and his wife’s lady-in-waiting is the stuff of bodice rippers and slasher flicks. Inês de Castro, a young woman, met Pedro in 1340 while accompanying his wife to court. Inês and Pedro fell madly in love, and neither the king’s displeasure Read More

To get close to Lisbon and its residents there’s nothing better than a nostalgic roller-coaster ride in an elétrico, one of the capital’s old streetcars, which are constantly rumbling through the city’s narrow streets passing old, weather-beaten façades in one of Europe’s most dignified metropolises. Small and manoeuvrable, these 100-year-old time machines screech along narrow-gauge tracks through a series of ancient residential districts, easing themselves Read More

Sintra, Portugal This magnificent Portuguese palace appears to be a mash-up of many castles. “For any proud Portuguese & curious foreigner, a visit to Pena Palace is a must” The Pena National Palace, located on a lush hill in São Pedro de Penaferrim, Portugal, is a prominent national monument that appears to have been formed by Read More

A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Today, Portugal’s more than 150 forts and castles are enduring monuments to the nation’s will to be independent. While larger and mightier countries were absorbed by others, Portugal, with its proud castles and the soldiers who defended them, evolved independently. Portugal was a Read More

The Palace of the Marquesses of Fronteira was built in 1671 as a hunting pavilion to Dom João de Mascarenhas, 1st Marquis of Fronteira, who received his title from King Afonso VI of Portugal for his loyalty to the House of Braganza in the Portuguese Restoration War. The palace is the private residence of the Marquesses of Fronteira The palace is located in Read More

On display here is a private collection of 43,000 matchboxes and another 16,000 matchbox covers compiled in dozens of books. It’s a vast and fascinating collection housed in an adorably charming courtyard at the Convento de San Francisco, adjacent to the old church of the same name. Aquiles da Mota Lima, the collector who initiated Read More