Belem Tower was built in the 16th century from limestone as part of a defense system on Tagus River and was a built as a ceremonial gate of Lisbon. This, however, is not the only reason why this tower is so famous and why it remains a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Belem Tower is a symbol of the Portuguese maritime travels during the Age of Discoveries.
Many of such colorful boats, as you see in the photo, are docked along the Douro River in Porto. Most of these boats are now just touristic attractions, but back in the day, the Port wine was transported with them. Aside from these small boats owned mostly by Porto wine producers, there are many others in the harbor, which are used now for visiting the Douro valley nearby Porto.
Did you know that the architect who began the construction of the D. Luis Bridge was Gustav Eiffel? The same architect that constructed the Eiffel Tower. The interesting thing however, is that he didn’t actually finish this task. It was his apprentice, Theophile Seyrig who completed the construction.
Palácio da Pena as its name is in Portuguese, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the best representations of Romanticism style in the world. It combines architecture styles of Neo-gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance. Be sure to take a walk not only inside Pena castle, but also around the castle itself. The view from some of the hills are remarkably outstanding and you will have an even better impression of the castle whilst seeing it from a distance.
The Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon was built to honor Portuguese discoveries. It is located on Tagus river in Belem from where sailors would depart for new geographical discoveries. On the statue, there are 34 sculptures of sailors with the largest figure on top – the sculpture of Henry the Navigator.