Bel\u00e9m Tower (Torre de Bel\u00e9m) was designed by Francisco de Arruda in 1515 to protect the mouth of the Tagus. The architecture of the tower is in the Manuelin style, a flamboyant extension of Gothic design, and boasts a remarkable mix of exterior decoration. It was commissioned by King Manuel I, and for a time was used as shelter by captains and crews before they headed off on expeditions to the coasts of Guinea. The tower gets incredibly busy at weekends, so be sure to visit during the week if you don’t like crowds. Don’t let the long spiral staircase inside put you off when you are there though, because at the top, there are views which words simply can’t describe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Calouste Gulbenkia Museum (Funda\u00e7ao Calouste Gulbenkian) is run by a private foundation, and its collection contains pieces belonging to many different cultures. It holds pieces from Persian, Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Armenian and Muslim cultures, and was bought from the Istanbul-born Calouste Gulbenkian, an Ottoman citizen of Armenian descent. The collection which Gulbenkian amassed during his lifetime is the core of the museum exhibits, and it also contains paintings by the “Old Masters” of Europe. World-famous names like Manet, Monet, Renoir, Rembrandt and Van Dyck all have works among the 6000-piece collection, which makes the museum one of the top places to visit in Lisbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n