"Lovely Belem..." Belém by VdV

If you only have a few hours to explore Lisbon or have a day or two to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Lisbon, I recommend at least a full day visit to Belem.

It waterfront location, monuments (Torre de Belem, Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, Padrao dos Descobrimentos), museums (Museu de Marnha, Museu do Popular Arte, Museu Nacional dos Coches), the wonderful Centro Cultural de Belem, AND...of course the world famous pasteis de Belem (delicious custard tarts), makes Belem the perfect place to spend a perfect day.

The heavenly Pasteis de Belem

Anyone who's been to Belem will tell you that you MUST have pasteis de Belem. Pay heed to their advice, as these pastries are wonderfully delicious. For more information, see my Restaurants Tips.

In the main photo on this page above (view of Rua de Belem), the Antiga Confeiteria de Belem (the confeiteria/pasteleria where you can buy these delicious pastries) is in the shopfront toward the bottom right of the photo, where the blue awnings are.

"The Cube" at the Centro Cultural de Belem

For modern art lovers, fans of live performances and browsers of museum shops and music, the Centro Cultural de Belem is the perfect to spend several hours.

The Centro stays open rather late (7pm) most days, and its shops stay open until 8pm.

For more information, see my Things to Do tips section.

• Pros:Lovely place to spend the day, walkable, easy access
• Cons:None really, except don't go on Monday when the museums are closed!
• In a nutshell:Culture, great sights, and delicious food. What more can you ask for?