Monument to the Discoveries

©saiko3p – stock.adobe.com

The Monument to the Discoveries of Lisbon, is a structure shaped like a caravel setting sail and one of the monuments most important to see in Lisbon.

At the prow stands Prince Henry (Infante D. Henrique), accompanied on board by other navigators and key figures of the Age of Discovery — cartographers, colonizers, and missionaries — who set out from here on Portuguese explorations.

It stands on the banks of the Tagus River, in the neighborhood of Belém in Lisbon.

The Padrão dos Descobrimentos, as it is known in Portuguese, was built under the orders of the dictator Salazar and inaugurated in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator.

Monument to the Discoveries © filipefrazao – stock.adobe.com

At its base lies a wind rose depicting the various routes charted by the Portuguese and the years in which they were undertaken.

Entering the Monument to the Discoveries

What appears to be merely a giant sculpture actually houses a building where you can visit a simple multimedia exhibition and access the viewing platform to see the wind rose on the ground and the surrounding area.

Near the Monument to the Discoveries you will also find the famous Belém Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery and the delicious pastéis de nata from Belém.

This attraction is cheaper with the Lisboa Card

Price

Ticket for exhibition, documentary, and terrace €6 (€4.80 with the Lisboa Card) / Exhibition-only ticket €3 (€2.80 with the Lisboa Card).

Address

Av. de Brasília

Hours

October–May 10:00–18:00; June–September 10:00–19:00, Tuesday to Sunday

How to get there?

Tram 15 – Train to Belém from Cais do Sodré, or buses 714, 727, 729, 751