A jewel in Lisbon's crown! It's easy to see why!
Belem Tower, meaning Bethlehem, has guarded Lisbon's harbor since 1520.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site due to it's significance in the Age of Discoveries.
The last thing explorers laid their eyes on as they journeyed across the Atlantic and the first thing that came into view upon their return.
Once inside, there are all sorts of nooks to explore.
Looking out to the 25th of April bridge.
The spiral stairwell is quite narrow that a red light/green light system is set in place to keep the flow of people running smoothly.
Only €6, it's worth every penny!
After touring the Belem Tower, we made our way to Pasteis de Belem near the Jeronimos Monastery for a pasteis de nata, custard tart.
Creamy custard is baked in a tart shell and served warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar!! Yum! Take me back now, these were heavenly!!
A tip we learned....don't be fooled by the long line snaking outside the front door. That's for take away. Capture the full experience by making your way inside (don't let the small store front fool you either, there are several rooms in the back), rest your weary feet and order yourself some tarts and coffee. Aww, bliss!! You will leave wanting more!!
On our way to locate these amazing custard tarts, we couldn't resist the area around the monastery.
This fountain was so amazing!
A 500 year old Gothic style monastery and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our third one to see on the coast of Lisbon.
We decided not to tour inside, but we had a little peek.
All located within the parish of Belem in Lisbon. Makes for a great day of sightseeing.
If you find you're here during lunch time, we highly recommend Restaurante Os Jeronimos just down from the bakery.
Authentic Portuguese food and atmosphere. The waiters are hilarious with lots of fun banter and shouting amongst themselves with some of the most amazing food we've ever had!
Have you toured Belem or tried the famous Belem pastries??
Linking up again with Bonnie, Camila, Jessi, and Amy for Travel Tuesday.
I love visiting UNESCO sites. That's the first thing I look for when we decide where we're going on our next trip. We never do all of them for each city, but we pick a couple and we haven't been disappointed yet!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had really nice weather the whole time you were there! Portugal must be like Spain in the summer!
Me too! It can be hard to get to all of them. We did have good weather. It did get muggy, more so than I thought, but I know later in the summer would have been even hotter!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a gorgeous place! I’ve never been to Portugal, I think I should add it to my bucket list. Very nice photos by the way.
ReplyDeleteHappy travels!
Belem Tower looks so beautiful! And as for those custard tarts... they sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteI was in Lisbon a few years back and took the little trip to Belem. The custard tarts were sooooo good! I absolutely loved it there.
ReplyDeleteOh they were! I even found a recipe to see if I can try it out!
ReplyDeleteI love experiencing local finds like these little gems!
ReplyDeleteTina, I just plain adore Lisbon, and Belem tower in particular. Your photos are lovely and make me want to pack my bags right away!
ReplyDeletewe LOVED Belem! we cheaper out on the 6 euros unfortunately and opted for a nap under a nearby tree....kinda what I loved about Portugal in general was the easy going lifestyle. so lovely to see the inside from your photos! lovely!
ReplyDeleteAhh the Pasteis! They are sooo good. I'd love to go back and get one. I wish I had gone into the Tower when I lived there. If only I had one. Guess I'll have to return one day. Such a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteWow! What amazing photos! A very dear friend of mine lives part in Lisbon - I must visit soon. I hadn't even heard of Belem before but must keep it in mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely with Mandy on this one- these pictures are exquisite, Tina. The next time I see you (SUNDAY!!!!) I want a camera lesson. Not kidding. I've never been to Portugal. The story you tell with your pictures really makes me want to go. Will the weather be sunny for my visit too? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy gosh the food looks absolutely delicious! The seafood must be amazing there! And I have to say I love seeing old buildings like that - you can really tell how old it is by looking at the stone!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! You definitely must visit your friend! Belem definitely needs to be on the list of places to see in Lisbon.
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I actually can't take credit for most of these as my hubby took them. I did no edit though, so I do have to give part credit to the camera!
ReplyDeletePortugal would most likely be sunny as they have a high ratio of sunny days for the year!! Then you could be Sunny in Lisbon on holiday!! ;)
Oh it absolutely was delicious! :) I love the stone work too and how white it is. Really stands out on a blue sky day!
ReplyDeleteA friend's boyfriend has been trying to persuade us to visit Lisbon (his home town) and we just might have to get over there this next year. Looks great and love the Gothic monastery.
ReplyDeleteWOW! That castle is absolutely gorgeous! The intricate stonework is so exquisite!
ReplyDeleteOh my! Everything is seriously stunning!!!! Belem has definitely just been added to my travel list! x
ReplyDeleteAhh, Portugal is one of my most favorite countries and I definitely remember hanging out in Belem on a sunny day! Thanks for taking me back :)
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful! Portugal has never really been on my list, but I think it's cause I haven't really looked into it all that much.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! I've never been to Portugal, but my husband and I did visit Macau, the Portuguese settlement in China, and ate some amazing Portuguese food and pastries! Those egg tarts are to die for...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots!! It looks like there was so much detail to be seen.
ReplyDelete~ Marcella
I NEED that recipe, fingers crossed you get a craving soon! x
ReplyDeleteOoh that building is magical. I can't wait to visit Portugal someday!!
ReplyDeleteJust another taste of Portugal that has me dying to visit! Thanks for sharing :)
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