FULL DAY Private Tour of Lisbon's main tourist attractions

Praça do Comércio, still commonly referred to by its former name of (the) Terreiro do Paço, is a square in downtown Lisbon located next to the Tagus river, in the area being the site of the palace of the kings of Portugal for about two centuries and which today is partially occupied by some government departments. It is one of the largest squares in Europe, measuring around 36,000 m² (180m x 200m). The square is bordered by 79 arches. It is considered a historic symbol of political power and manifestation of capital in Portugal. This symbology is generally associated with state centralism. In 1511, King D. Manuel I transferred his residence from Castelo de São Jorge to this location by the river. The Paço da Ribeira, as well as its library of 70,000 volumes, were destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. In the reconstruction, coordinated by Eugénio dos Santos, the square became a fundamental element of the plan of the Marquês de Pombal.

The viewpoint is located in front of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte. From it you can see, to the south, the Sea of Palha, the Castle of São Jorge, part of downtown Lisbon and the estuary of the Tagus River, to the west, from Bairro Alto to Parque Florestal de Monsanto and, to the north , the valley of Avenida Almirante Reis. Beside this viewpoint is the small and ancient chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte (classified as a Public Interest Property), founded in 1147 and dedicated to São Gens, the bishop who, according to tradition, was martyred here. It was on this old Mount of São Gens that D. Afonso Henriques set up camp for the conquest of the city. The viewpoint is located in the churchyard of the small chapel and was renovated twice in the 20th century. As it is located at the highest point of Bairro da Graça, it is one of the places with the best panoramic views of the city, especially over Mouraria and São Jorge Castle.

The 25 de Abril Bridge is a railway suspension bridge over the Tagus River that connects the city of Lisbon (north bank) to the city of Almada (south bank), in Portugal. The bridge crosses the Tagus estuary in the final and narrowest part — the so-called Tagus bottleneck. It is 2,277 meters long. With a free span of 1,013 meters, it is the 33rd longest suspension bridge in the world. The upper deck houses 6 roadways, while the lower deck houses two electrified railway lines. Projects for the construction of a bridge over the Tagus estuary have existed since the end of the 19th century; however, it was only in the 1950s that the Portuguese Estado Novo government proceeded with the construction of a bridge to connect the two banks of the Lisbon metropolitan area. Construction began in November 1962 and lasted four years. At least 20 workers lost their lives, much more than announced at the time. It opened on August 6, 1966.

The National Sanctuary of Christ the King is located at an altitude of 133 meters above the level of the Tagus, consisting of a portico designed by the architect António Lino, 75 meters high, topped by the statue of the Blessed Redeemer with open arms facing the city of Lisbon, 28 meters high, the work of the Portuguese sculptor Francisco Franco de Sousa. The pedestal, including the portico, rises to 82 meters in height. The sanctuary and monument to Christ the King is the biggest tourist attraction in the municipality of Almada. This monument is the best viewpoint overlooking the city of Lisbon, offering a wide view over the capital and over the 25 de Abril Bridge. In numerous tourist reports about Lisbon, the sanctuary and monument to Cristo Rei, Almada's ex-libris, appears. It is one of the tallest buildings in Portugal, 110 meters high.

The monument was initially thought of by Cottinelli Telmo as a tribute to Infante D. Henrique, following several projects and competitions for Sagres, carried out over the years without any being built. On the occasion of the Exhibition of the Portuguese World, 1940–of which Cottinelli Telmo was chief architect –, it became the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, celebrating not only the Infante but also his collaborators and followers. Conceived by Cottinelli Telmo and the sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida (author of the statuary) for this great exhibition, the initial monument was created in the short space of eight months. Made of perishable materials, it was dismantled in 1958 and rebuilt in the following years, in concrete and lias stone, by decision of Salazar who, on the occasion of the 5th centenary of the Infante, opposed the result of yet another Henrican tender for Sagres (won in 1955 for a remarkable project by a team formed by João Andresen, Barata Feyo and Júlio Resende).

Free visit, no set time

The Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém, better known as Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, is a Portuguese monastery, built at the end of the 15th century by King D. Manuel I and was entrusted to the Order of São Jerónimo. The culmination of Manueline architecture, this monastery is the most notable Portuguese monastic complex of its time and one of the main hall churches in Europe. Its construction began at the beginning of the 16th century and lasted for a hundred years, having been directed by a remarkable group of architects/master builders. The Jerónimos Monastery has been classified as a National Monument since 1907 and, in 1983, it was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with the Belém Tower. On the 7th of July 2007 it was chosen as one of the seven wonders of Portugal. Closely linked to the Portuguese Royal House and the epic of the Discoveries, the Jerónimos Monastery was, from very early on, "interiorized as one of the symbols of the nation".