Many of Portugal’s distinctive buildings and landmarks are located in Belém, including the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém. At the heart of Belém is the Praça do Império, an avenue of open-spaces and gardens, with a central fountain. Belém is the southwesternmost civil parish of Lisbon/Lisboa (Portugal).

Belém is famous as the place from which many of the great Portuguese explorers set off on their voyages of discovery. In particular, it is the place from which Vasco da Gama departed for India in 1497 and Pedro Álvares Cabral departed for Brazil in 1499. It is also a former royal residence and features the 17th–18th century Belém Palace, a former royal residence now occupied by the President of Portugal.

Belém’s main street and historical avenue is Rua de Belém, a strip of 160-year buildings that have survived several years of change and modernization.

The main street includes the famous pastry shop Fábrica de Pasteis de Belém known for a specific Portuguese confectionery: pastel de Belém, an egg tart made with flaky pastry. The Pastéis de nata were created in 1837 by Catholic monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, in Lisbon.
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Torre de Belém is a fortified tower that was part of a defensive system to protect access to the Tagus estuary from pirates and enemy attacks.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (English: Jerónimos Monastery) is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos is a monument that celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery (or Age of Exploration) during the 15th and 16th centuries.

June, 2017

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