Travel Photo Friday - Monument to the Discoveries

When you see it up close, it's breathtaking. The Monument to the Discoveries is located on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary in the Belém district of Lisbon. It was built in 1960 to commemorate the 500th aniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. It's 171 feet tall, and shaped like a ship's prow. The monument has 30 statues of people who have played an important role in the discoveries, with Prince Henry at the front leading the way.


You can enter the monument, which has a museum, and a rooftop which gives you great panoramic views over Belém. It's easy to reach the monument from the centre of Lisbon - jump on Tram 15, and you can't miss it. There are plenty of other sights that are worth seeing close by, including the Jeronimos Monastery, and the Belem Tower, so you can easily spend a whole day 'discovering' this area yourself!

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