The story of how the old Lisbon showed everyone that he keeps up with the times.
It happened in 1998, when on the site of the industrial zone, to international exhibition Expo-98, a quarter of modern architecture with a developed infrastructure has grown. The event was timed to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India.
The exhibition went off with a bang, but the most important thing is that after the completion of Expo-98, the district did not wither, as happens with such grandiose projects, but began to develop at an accelerated pace, for example, today about 25 thousand people live here.
The second name of the Expo-98 area is the Park of Nations, stretching for more than 5 kilometers along the river, where, in addition to modern residential and office buildings, there are many more interesting things.
People come here to walk along the Tagus, go shopping in the Shopping Center, dine in good restaurants, go to a concert, look at the underwater world in the oceanarium, try your luck in a casino or just admire the sunset sky, where the 17-kilometer Vasco da Gama bridge cuts the water surface on the horizon.
Now it seems impossible that on the site of the modern district there were oil refineries, landfills, abandoned warehouses, and even slaughterhouses.
The territory of the embankment is gardens, play areas, bike paths and cafes. We will tell you about the most interesting and significant buildings park, as well as some of the sculptures that are scattered throughout the Expo area.
Station Oriente
I designed the station building, I'm not afraid of this word, brilliant architect Santiago Calatrave. The construction of gray concrete causes a mixed reaction from many. But if you look at the mirror and glossy facades of office buildings around this building, then the gray design of the station balances the composition. The station building resembles the skeleton of a huge whale or dinosaur.
This is one of the major transport hubs in Lisbon: there is a metro station underground Oriente, above the bus station, from where intercity buses leave in almost all directions, and at the top is the railway station.
Evening illumination gives the design of the station an additional charm.
Opposite the train station spaceship with two towers is a shopping center Vasco da Gamma. The two towers are residential skyscrapers Sao Gabriel And Sao Rafael, named after the sailboats on which the navigator discovered the sea route to India.
On the third floor of the shopping center there is an excellent food court with good restaurants, and you can eat on the open veranda overlooking the Tagus embankment and the Park of Nations.
In this part of the Expo-98 area there is a park area with fountains, benches, exhibition pavilions and modern sculptures.
The first thing that will attract your attention will be a huge iron structure, resembling either a person or a giant insect.
Sculpture by the Portuguese master Jorge Vieira. An anthropomorphic iron structure, about 20 meters high, looks more like a huge alien creature. The sculpture is a symbiosis of abstraction and surrealism.
Immediately after it begins Rossio dos Olivais, a number of flagpoles and a water channel - this square is considered the center of the Park of Nations.
On the left side, the space dish of the Atlantic pavilion landed, today this structure is known as MEO arena where concerts are held. The North American architectural firm collaborated on the project S.O.M. and the Portuguese Regina Cruz ( Regino Cruz).
On the right side is the pavilion of Portugal, by Alvaro Siza Vieira ( Alvaro Siza Vieira). At first glance, a rather simple white structure, two building blocks that are connected by a slightly cambered concrete sheet, like a thin sheet of paper.
Here you get pretty beautiful pictures. The building acts as a frame to the landscape, which opens from the other side: a river, a bridge, a cable car, and people walking.
Near the pavilion of Portugal is another entertaining art object.
Rizoma Rhizome
The design of nine male iron legs located at different angles is the brainchild of the Englishman Anthony Gormley. The sculptor brings the human body to the fore in almost all of his works. From a distance, this object looks like a tree.
Volcano fountains
In the middle of the shady alley of Alameda dos Oshianush are six conical fountains. These bright 4-meter "volcanoes" are not simple: in summer time, every 25 seconds, water in a powerful jet 3 meters high breaks out of the crater, like a volcanic eruption.
Many travelers who are not aware of this feature often fall into a water trap. Multi-colored fountains are connected by channels along which benches are located.
If you decide to walk along the alley, you will notice a black glass box - this is a building.
But back closer to the embankment, where we notice another art object, around which people usually crowd and shout something. This is a sculpture Horas de Chumbo.
Two iron conical tubes look like mouthpieces. This sculpture seems to breathe the wind and creates an echo. You, too, can participate in this process: say something into the trumpet and listen to how your voice connects with the wind. Portuguese author Rui Chafes.
Interesting for people traveling with children will be Knowledge Pavilion: Living Science. Pavilhão do Conhecimento: Ciência Viva.
In the walls of the building hides a cognitive child Center where you can effortlessly learn physical laws, play the role of Sherlock Holmes or a crazy Chemist. The expositions in the museum change periodically.
Also located in the Park of Nations. The American Peter Chermaeff, a well-known specialist in such structures, worked on the project. This is the largest aquarium in Europe. 7 thousand cubic meters sea water, glass partitions, and you seem to be at the bottom of the sea - an incredible sight!
The idea belongs to the Portuguese artist and designer Fernanda Fragateiro. The benches in this garden are covered with small mosaics, the art object is a curtain that separates the roadway from the quiet park of palm trees.
Among the trees, a white giraffe hid, which bowed before the mirror.
The bright blue building is the Camões Theatre, with a glass facade overlooking the river. This is a ballet theatre.
Opposite the theater building, curious hunters of art objects can find Reflexo do ceu Or rather, what was left of it.
Once upon a time there were three huge stainless steel blades that were driven by the wind. Only two remain today. The six-meter art object belongs to the Japanese sculptor Susumu Shing.
cable car
Behind the building of the oceanarium there is a cable car, from the cabins of which there are panoramic views of the Park of Nations.
145-meter tower in the form of a sail - a tower named after whom do you think? Of course, Vasco de Gama. During the exhibition, there was a restaurant on the upper round platform. Today, a five-star MYRIAD hotel has been added to the tower with panoramic views.
A green park, in this part of the area chosen by joggers and cyclists. This zone contains plants from different parts of the world - Goa, China, Mozambique and Angola, Brazil, etc. for the most part from those countries where Portuguese navigators managed to check in.
Hiding among this greenery.
Marble sculptures of Kustodiev women refer us to the mythical sirens. Carefree naked nymphs of the waters of the Tagus River seduce sailors who sail in a traditional boat. Portuguese author João Pires Cutileiro.
A bit of pop art in a traditional Portuguese guise - azulejo
There are two walls on the territory of the Expo-98 park - panels with superheroes and cartoon characters at the metro station Oriente. The authorship of the famous Icelandic artist Erro (Gudmundur Gudmundsson).
The second panel is already on the territory of the park itself, it adorns the facade of the hotel. It is also made in the style of comics. On them you will find the characters you or your children love, whether they are Scrooge McDuck's nephews or Mike Wazowski with Boo from Monsters, Inc.
Today, the park has stretched far beyond the bridge of the eminent Navigator, under which skaters, roller skaters and other extreme sports enthusiasts like to gather.
The construction of the modern district has hardly affected the natural ecosystem, so if you see people with binoculars in the bushes, do not be alarmed, these are typical amateurs birdwatching.
After walking enough in the park, you can dine in one of the restaurants here, which offers different cuisines from local Portuguese to Italian, Chinese and just burgers.
Parque das Nações(Park even Nasoesh) or Nations Park c is one of the most popular places not only because of the sights. The entire area of the Park of Nations is distinguished by modern architecture, here you will find wide choose entertainment, educational, sports, commercial and eating places for tourists and residents of the capital. I would compare the Park of Nations with Montjuic in Barcelona and VDNKh in Moscow. This comparison may not be entirely accurate in terms of external characteristics, but it will be true in meaning.
Attractions in Lisbon:
ParquedasNações– Park of Nations
The Park of Nations is located in the northeast, near Lisbon Portela Airport. It is an area of pronounced modern architecture. Now this area includes several museums, residential buildings, an exhibition center, a multifunctional pavilion, a cable car, a commercial center and just an interesting place for a pleasant pastime. If you walk towards the Vasco da Gama bridge, there will be Tejo Park ( Parque do Tejo). In general, it is very pleasant to walk along the Tagus River at any time.
There are sooo many different eating establishments in the Park of Nations. Here you can eat not only Portuguese, but also Italian, Brazilian, Argentinean and many other cuisines.
Walking here you will find a wide variety of modern sculptures. Some are quite curious.
A littlefromstories..
The history of the Park of Nations is quite short. Back in the late 80s of the 20th century, this was a completely uninteresting industrial zone with partially abandoned and destroyed houses. The new look of this zone was brought by the grandiose project of its restructuring for the World Exhibition EXPO, which took place in 1998. In anticipation of this exhibition, the half-abandoned area was redeveloped and transformed into one of the prestigious areas of the Portuguese capital.
Estação do Oriente (AshtasauduOrient)or Gare do Oriente (GareduOrient) -
Station Orient
Modern railway station, and just big transport node from where you can get to almost anywhere in the country. The only thing is that it is impossible to take a train to Cascais. But you can survive it 🙂 Intercity trains stop here or depart from here, commuter trains, incl. in Sintra. Intercity and international buses, as well as many urban and suburban buses. There is also a metro station of the same name.
CentroCommercialVascodaGama (Centro Commercial Vasco da Gama) -
Commercial Center Vasco da Gama
A large commercial center next to the Oriente station, in fact, you can go through it to the Park of Nations. So do many. Several floors with shops, a food court where you can eat inexpensively and tasty. Downstairs there is a Continente supermarket where you can buy some traditional items like painted plates cheaply, as well as wine, cheeses, olive oil etc. I wrote about what to bring from Portugal in.
TorresSoGabriel/ Rafael (Torres Sau Gabriel / Rafael) -
Towers of St. Gabriel and Raphael
Two modern buildings resembling sails are the very towers of St. Gabriel and Raphael. At night, the upper part of the towers is illuminated.
These buildings contain both commercial space and residential space. Of course, everyone understands that apartments here cost sky-high money.
FeiraInternationaldeLisboa (Feira International de Lisboa) -
Lisbon International Exhibition
A large pavilion, which is mainly used for various exhibitions and fairs.
Torre Vasco da Gama (Torre Vasco da Gama) - Vasco da Gama Tower
This tower is of modern design with a large observation deck at the top. Now it is closed for visits, because. a luxury hotel is still under construction right next to it.
PonteVascodaGama (Ponte Vasco da Gama) -
Vasco da Gama bridge
Vasco da Gama Bridge - one of the attractions of Lisbon was opened for travel in April 1998 and was named after the great Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (in Russian literature - Vasco da Gama). This year marked the 500th anniversary of his arrival from a voyage to India. This bridge is the longest in Europe and the 4th longest in the world. Its duration is 17.2 km, of which 10 km are over water. This bridge was designed to withstand an earthquake 4 times stronger than the famous Lisbon earthquake in 1755.
Telecabine(Telecabin) -
Funicular or cable car
In the Park of Nations, a cable car is stretched along the Tagus River. Its duration is 1.23 kilometers. One way trip takes 8 minutes. From here you will be able to observe both the view of the river and Lisbon.
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Address: |
Passeio das Tagides - Estação Norte, 1990-280 LISBOA |
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Telephone: |
(+351) 218 956 143 |
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Fax machine: |
(+351) 218 952 815 |
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Email: |
[email protected] |
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Official site: |
http://www.telecabinelisboa.pt/ |
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Work schedule: |
October 26 to March 19 11:00 - 18:00, March 19 to May 31 11:00 - 19:00, June 1 to September 15 10:30 - 20:00, September 15 to October 25 11:00 - 19: 00 |
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Ticket price: |
One way children 0-6 years old - free of charge, 7-14 years old - 2 euros, 15-64 years old - 3.95 euros, 65 and older - 2 euros |
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round-trip for children 0-6 years old - free of charge 7-14 years old - 3.35 euros, 15-64 years old - 5.90 euros, 65 and older - 3.35 euros |
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Discounts: |
groups of 25 people |
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Free entry |
children up to 6 years old inclusive |
pavilhoAtlântico (Pavillau Atlantic) -
Pavilion of the Atlantic
The Atlantic Pavilion is a fairly multifunctional pavilion, which is mainly used as a large concert venue. It is here that eminent stars perform when they come on tour to Lisbon.
Pavilhão de Portugal (Pavilhão de Portugal) -
Pavilion of Portugal
This Pavilion of Portugal was designed as the representative pavilion of Portugal for the International Exhibition in 1998. At the moment, temporary exhibitions are held there, but its “useful” application has not yet been identified.
Oceanario de Lisboa (Oceanariu de Lisboa) -
Photos taken from the Oceanarium website http://www.oceanario.pt/cms/61
The Lisbon Aquarium is also located in the Park of Nations. This large building, which includes a huge variety of fish and other inhabitants of the ocean, but not only. There is one huge aquarium that can be viewed from different levels. There are moon fish, sharks, rays and other interesting inhabitants. There are also a few smaller aquariums, but also very interesting ones.
The aquarium has several rooms where habitat conditions have been restored in different parts of our planet, for example, there is a patch of tropical forest, there is a mountain with real ice and a reservoir for penguins, there is a reservoir for waterfowl, beavers, probably .. look at the photos where they rest. All in all, I highly recommend visiting. Great place for family vacation, and not only.
Here are the opening hours, ticket prices, etc.
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Address: |
Esplanada D. Carlos I, 1990-005 Lisboa |
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Telephone: |
+351 218 917 002 / 03 or 06 |
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Fax machine: |
+351 218 955 762 |
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Email: |
[email protected] |
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Official site: |
http://www.oceanario.pt |
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Work schedule: |
Summer 10:00-20:00, last entry at 19:00 Winter 10:00-19:00, last entry at 18:00 December 25 open from 13:00-18:00 January 1 open from 12:00-18 :00 |
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Ticket price |
10% discount when buying tickets online |
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permanent exhibition |
0-3 years old - free, 4-12 years old - 9 euros, 13-64 years old - 13 euros, 65 and older - 9 eurosFamily - 36 euros (2 adults + 2 children under 12 years old, additional child + 5.5 euros))) )) A family ticket can only be bought at the ticket office of the Oceanarium |
In the Oceanarium you can take an audio guide for 2.5 euros. Audio guide in the following languages: Portuguese, French, Spanish, English, Italian and German.
Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Pavilhão do Cunecimento) -
Knowledge Pavilion
The Pavilion of Knowledge is a museum where almost everything can be touched. This is a very interesting place for children. There is a permanent exhibition here where you can try everything, jump, climb, touch, ride and see how it all works. The temporary exhibition also changes here several times a year. What I saw was an exposition telling about the processes taking place in the human body. There you could even smell the various smells that the human body generates. Then there was an exposition telling about all sorts of optical things, tricks and illusions. In general, I highly recommend. If I remember correctly, there is also a translation into English language all these technical things. Although I did not find the English version on the official website, so maybe I'm wrong. In any case, there is much clear and so. I still advise you to go, especially with children, and the tickets are not very expensive.
Work schedule:
Ticket price:
Discounts:
Free entry
Teatro Camões (Teatro Camões) -
Theatre. Camões
The Camões Theater is currently under the management and organization of the repertoire of the National Dance Company (Companhia Nacional de Bailado). As you might guess, the basis of the repertoire is ballet with the invitation of various eminent performers.
Theater website: http://www.cnb.pt. The site is in Portuguese only.
Casino de Lisboa (Casino de Lijboa) -
Casino Lisbon
The Lisbon casino is not only, in fact, a casino. There are rooms that are used for a variety of performances, concerts and performances. And artists perform here, both their own, Portuguese and international groups. For example, performances of Slava Polunin's Snow Show have just begun. They will last until May 20.
Casino website: http://www.casino-lisboa.pt/. English is available on the site.
MarinaParquedasNações (Marina Park Dazh Nasoesh) -
Nations Park Harbor
A modern marina where there is also a marina for larger pleasure craft. The curious architecture of the buildings resembles huge cruise ships.
Still in the Park of Nations seething and night life. There are several discos here, including here you can dance salsa. If you are interested, write in the comments and I will tell you exactly where this can be done.
It is not hot yet, so it is very pleasant to walk.
The Park of Nations was opened recently, for the international exhibition "EXPO-98". Now it is one of the favorite vacation spots of Lisbon residents.
And here is the aquarium itself, outwardly it does not correspond to the title of the largest in Europe:
Favorite place for photos of almost everyone who comes here:
This group of tourists looks very touching:
Interestingly, the uniform includes panama hats for girls and baseball caps for boys (although there were only two of them).
In the oceanarium itself, you can’t shoot with a flash, so most of the photos, due to their quality, immediately went to the trash ...
The slopes below look very interesting. To me personally, they remind me of the “best ghost in the world” from the sheet with holes for the eyes and mouth from the Karlsson stories:
Photos of reservoirs with tropical animals and vegetation turned out a little better:
Looking at this flounder, I still didn’t understand whether it was slightly buried in the sand, or whether it had taken on the color of the “background” (as a child I read that if you put a flounder on a chessboard, it will also become “in a box”).
I hope the penguin isn't looking around for food.
And for dessert (although in fact you will meet them at the very beginning of the route), I will introduce you to the main sweets of the oceanarium - sea otters (sometimes they are called sea beavers, although it would be more correct to say - sea otters). Of course, in static they lose a lot ...
The pool in which sea otters live (we saw only one) is small, but very deep, because in the wild they often dive to get food. Sea otters feed sea urchins, crabs and other crustaceans (their homeland is the Far East, Pacific Ocean, area of the Kuril and Commander Islands). And in order to split the shells of crabs and hedgehogs, sea otters use practically a tool - a stone. Having caught prey at a depth, the sea otter emerges to the surface, lies on its back, puts the trophy on its stomach, takes a stone in its paw and splits the shell of a crab or hedgehog with it. Moreover, the sea otter does not throw out the stone itself, but hides its armpit, presses it to the body and dives with it again. And so again and again...
We stayed at the aquarium for a little over two hours. Perhaps this is the minimum that needs to be assigned to it.
Directly opposite the oceanarium is the landing point for the cable car. A one-way ticket costs 3.90, with a return - 6 euros. We chose "one way ticket" and, I think, did not lose. At this time, there were no people yet, and almost all the cabins were empty. The trip lasts about 8 minutes, and from above you can see this:
The most central and most bulky building of the park: the Atlantic pavilion:
Descending "from heaven" to the sinful earth, we went to the metro and on the way we met unusual fountain. Approximately every 2-3 minutes it "erupts", which was very important in the light of the Icelandic volcano that has not yet subsided. This process looks like this:
Banana season is coming soon!
Back we returned by metro in the same way, reached "Rossio" and walked 2 minutes on foot to the stop of the 15th tram on Placa da Figueira. Despite the name "high-speed", the tram goes very slowly! Actually, the reason here is not in the tram itself, but in the number of traffic lights that come across it on the way. Yes, and stops he makes quite a lot and often. As a result, we drove to Belém for half an hour, if not more. We get off the tram - and here it is, one of the wonders of the architecture of Lisbon and the Manueline style - the famous monastery of the Hieronymites, also known as the monastery of Jeronimos (Jeronimos).
The southern portal, also known for the fact that European leaders were photographed against its background after the signing of the Lisbon agreements. However, Henry the Navigator, whose statue is on top between the doors, looks at this fuss condescendingly: "you come and go, your names will sink into oblivion, but I will always be here and I will always be remembered."
So much has already been written about the monastery that it simply does not make sense to do it again. The only thing that remained a mystery to me: what kind of sarcophagi, allegedly belonging to Vasco da Gama and Camões, did we see in the National Pantheon, if both are buried here?
By the way, the tomb of Kamoensha, located here, is empty. According to one version, the poet was too poor, died of the plague and was buried in an unknown mass grave. According to another, during the earthquake of 1755, his sarcophagus split, and the ashes were blown away by the wind. As it was in reality, we will probably never know.
From the inside, the monastery is impressive, perhaps even more than from the outside. An ornate web of vaults, columns with a sophisticated relief pattern... All this fascinates and attracts the eye for a long time. The interior of the monastery church is perhaps the most impressive of the similar ones we have seen not only in Portugal. And again, I regret to state that due to the ban on the use of flash, the photos turned out very badly ...
During the restoration of 1850, the monastery was expanded, a western wing was added to it, which now houses several museums. Did this add beauty and grace to the monastery? In my opinion, hardly. The building turned out to be disproportionately long, and in addition, the original western facade is now lost next to the extension.
On the square in front of the monastery there is a square with a fountain.
On this topic, such a fantasy of playing water with a stone arose:
On the Tagus embankment opposite the monastery is the so-called monument to the Discoverers - the great navigators, built in 1960.
The monument is stylized as a caravel going at full sail. At the base there are 33 sculptures, each 3 times tall. The faces of all the figures are carefully drawn, but only one has a real portrait resemblance, the very first one is Prince Enrique the Navigator.
Who, by the way, was not himself a navigator in the broadest sense of the word: he sailed only in the Mediterranean Sea, once sailing to Morocco. But he was very interested in navigation and understood the importance of such travels for the development of the country, founded a navigational school, collecting in it the best knowledge at that time about ships, seas and all other intricacies of marine science. Under him, Portugal began to build the most modern ships. In general, it was Prince Enrique (who never became king, not being the eldest son of the monarch) who paved the way for further great maritime discoveries made by the Portuguese.
"All of you, paladins of the Green Temple,
Over the cloudy sea, following the rhumb,
Gonzalvo and Cook, La Perouse and da Gama,
Dreamer and king, Genoese Columbus!
Ganon the Carthaginian, prince of Senegambius,
Sinbad the Sailor and mighty Ulysses,
About your victories thunder in praise
Gray ramparts, running into the cape!
Let the sea rage and lash
The crests of the waves rose into the sky,
Not one trembles before a thunderstorm,
None will turn the sails.
Are these hands given to cowards,
That sharp, confident look
What can on enemy feluccas
Unexpectedly throw a frigate
Marked by a bullet, sharp iron
Chase giant whales
And take in the multi-star night
Protective light of beacons"
N.S. Gumilyov, "Captains"
There is an elevator inside the monument, which (for, it seems, 2.5 euros) can take you to the observation deck at a height of about 50 m. At first, for some reason, I was skeptical about this procedure, but in the end I have to admit that it was worth it.
And this is a stylization made of paving stones with a map on which the main routes of the famous Portuguese travelers are marked. To understand the scale of the map, pay attention to the figures of ant people on it:
Here are its fragments closer (view already from below):
and we move on, to our last attraction - the Belen Tower. By this point, the heat had already reached its daytime climax, and we thought it was good that it was a little cooler during the trip to Sintra.
Belém Tower is one of the oldest buildings in Lisbon. It would be more correct to call it Bethlehem, since this area of the city - Belen - got its name from Bethlehem. It is very difficult to say why this is so today, on this account there are only guesses and assumptions.
At the end of the 15th century, King John II developed defense systems at the mouth of the Tagus by building fortresses at Cascais and Caparica. However, these fortresses did not provide complete protection, therefore, in order to protect the approaches to the Jeronimos Monastery, at the beginning of the 16th century, another fort was built in the form of a tower, named after the patron Saint of Lisbon, Saint Vincent. Along the way, she served as a lighthouse. Its creator was the military architect Francisco di Arruda, who studied fortification art in Morocco, so the architecture of the tower has Arabic motifs, and its shape resembles the minaret of the El Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech. Whether the merit of the architect, or it was the will of God, but the tower turned out to be very strong - it withstood the great Lisbon earthquake. Partially it was destroyed later, during the Napoleonic wars, when the French rampaged in Portugal, and in the middle of the 19th century it was restored in modern form. Outwardly, the Belenskaya Tower is a seemingly incompatible combination of elegance, splendor, but at the same time, military severity.
Initially, the tower stood on a small island off the coast, but over time coastline changed so that she was practically on the shore.
Not far from the tower is its metal model, which is fairly plucked by inquisitive tourists:
The Belenskaya tower consists of two parts: the bastion and the 4-storey tower itself, located on the north side of the bastion. In the bastion, in special niches in the wall, there are 16 cannons:
Here is the tower from the bastion:
Inside the tower was unexpectedly interesting. Despite the seemingly small size, it is very capacious for internal spaces. All 5 (with a bastion) floors are open to the public, and on each there was something curious: either an original balcony, or beautiful view.
So narrow a spiral staircase leads from floor to floor that it is very problematic for two adults to pass each other on it.
View of the bastion from the third floor:
On the south side of the bastion, you can see a small sculpture of a rhinoceros head (it has already been torn off from the model):
The story itself is interesting about how this animal, exotic for Portugal, served as an adornment for such a brutal object. In 1515, a live rhino was delivered from India to the court of King Manuel I, which made an incredible impression on the monarch, so strong that he ordered a “portrait” of the rhino to Albrecht Dürer himself:
Then it occurred to the king to check which of the animals living in his overseas possessions is stronger. For this, a rhinoceros was released into the arena, angering him first, and an elephant was put up against him. However, the expected enjoyment of the duel did not happen, because the elephant, seeing the enemy, broke through the wall of the arena and ran away. As a result, the rhino got the title of the strongest and it was decided to send it as a gift to the Pope. The rhinoceros was loaded onto a ship, which sank along with the unfortunate animal along the way ...
On this, the program of visiting Portugal was completed, but in the end we decided to go to Cascais purely “optionally” in order to (perhaps for an internal “tick”) see the ocean. Moreover, it is very fast and convenient to go from Belém to Cascais: we walked for about 15 minutes (although the heat did not contribute to the ease of walking, and the paving stones, traditional for Portugal, already pretty annoyed our feet) to the nearest Alges station, where trains coming from Lisbon to Cascais. As on the line to Sintra, the interval between trains is very short, 15 minutes, and it takes 25 minutes to get to Cascais from here. True, for travel I had to buy new light green cards (with the abbreviation CP), ordinary city cards are not suitable for this.
Cascais is a cute seaside resort town on the Portuguese Riviera, with its special decoration being a large number of palm trees:
The city has a long history, but its true heyday, which continues to this day, began in late XIX century with the light hand of King Louis I, who chose Cascais as his residence and turned it into a fashionable and expensive aristocratic resort. During the 2nd World War, many European politicians, writers and actors, and later members of the royal families found shelter here. As a result, almost the entire city is a large private property owned by emigrants from high society.
Cascais also has its own fortress - the citadel of the XIV century. But it houses one of the residences of the Minister of Defense and a small garrison, so it is of no interest for viewing.
Cozy streets, small squares, embankment - all this allows you to have a good time and relax. If anyone is lucky with the temperature of the water, you can swim at the same time on a small sandy city beach.
From the city center, our path lay to the so-called "mouth of hell" (Boca do Inferno), which received such a formidable name from the sounds with which the waves break in a cave in the coastal sheer cliffs.
Returning to Lisbon, we once again climbed the observation deck of Santa Justa, where we met the last sunset in Portugal:
Adeus, Lisboa! Goodbye Portugal!
Fans of modernity and hi-tech should definitely visit the Parque das Nações, or Parque das Nações in Portuguese, which is located in the Portuguese capital.
The history of the emergence of this quarter refers us to the events of twenty years ago, when a major international exhibition "Expo-98" dedicated to the oceans was held in Lisbon. Its organizers took as a basis an important date - the 500th anniversary of the return of the great navigator Vasco da Gama from the expedition. This explains the fact that so many objects in the park bear the name of the traveler.
The Park of Nations covers an area of 50 hectares, and the length of the modern architectural quarter is five kilometers.
Before becoming popular tourist place The Park of Nations was an unremarkable place with oil refineries, mountains of rubbish, ruined buildings and warehouses. Although it was located in a picturesque area - the bay of the Tagus River, this did not add any attraction to the quarter. Needless to say, after the exhibition, the area was completely transformed, and there was no trace of the former devastation.
1 out of 10
Attractions of the Park of Nations in Lisbon
The modern look of the quarter gives an impressive list of attractions. Just take a look at it:
- Center of Vasco da Gama,
- Towers of St. Gabriel and St. Raphael,
- Tower of Vasco da Gama
- Vasco da Gama bridge
- cable car,
- Portugal pavilion,
- Casino,
- Theater,
- Harbor of the Park of Nations.
Now about everything in order.
Station Oriente
The first thing that travelers pay attention to when they arrive at the Park of Nations on public transport- Oriente train station. With its unusual futuristic design, this building can surprise almost any traveler. But this is only at the beginning. If you look around, you can see that the gray "glass" building perfectly balances the surrounding composition of the mirrored and glossy facades of office buildings. The design of the building belongs to the architect Santiago Calatrava.
In fact, the Oriente station is not only distinguished by its architectural features, but also an important role, as it is a major transport hub of the country. In a multi-level building there is a metro station, a bus station a little higher, and a railway station at the very top. They say that from here you can go almost anywhere in the country.
Shopping center Vasco da Gama
Right opposite railway station there is a shopping center that looks like a spaceship. The multi-storey building houses a variety of shops, restaurants and food outlets where you can enjoy a delicious meal before a long walk, while the outdoor terrace offers panoramic views of the Tagus River.
Towers of Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael
These residential high-rise twins are located next to the shopping center. They got their name in honor of the sailing ships of the navigator Vasco da Gama. Evening illumination gives a special charm to these structures.
Tower of Vasco da Gama
Another skyscraper in the Park of Nations is the Vasco da Gama Tower. With its appearance (the steel structure is made in the form of a sail), the tower fits into the general structure of the Park of Nations. The building houses a panoramic restaurant, Observation deck and living quarters. Until the closure of the observation decks and the restaurant in 2008, the Vasco da Gama tower was considered the most tall building countries.
Vasco da Gama bridge
The list of objects named after the navigator continues with the Vasco da Gama bridge. Built 20 years ago, it was considered the most long bridge in Europe until May 2018. The structure has an earthquake-resistant design, consists of six lanes and connects car roads that come from the Portuguese capital.
cable car
A wonderful view of the Tagus River and Lisbon opens from the funicular. The duration of the cable car is 1 kilometer 230 meters.
Pavilion of Portugal
The Pavilion of Portugal, compared to other sites in the Park of Nations, may seem like a modest structure to visitors. But this is only at first glance - the minimalism of the building emphasizes natural beauty quarters: cable car, bridge and river.
Lisbon Oceanarium
In the Lisbon Oceanarium, you can enjoy watching marine life: fish, sharks, stingrays and other inhabitants of the underwater world. The project of the largest oceanarium in Europe belongs to Peter Chermaeff.
Casino Lisbon
In the casino of Lisbon, you can not only test your passion and luck, but also visit some kind of performance, concert or even a performance. Not only Portuguese, but also visiting artists often perform on the casino stage.
ballet theater
The dance program, in particular ballet, forms the basis of the repertoire of the Camões Theater. The building is framed by a glass facade and is located near the river.
Nations Park Harbor
The harbor of the Park of Nations is a concentration of yachts and pleasure boats. In general, as you yourself have already understood, there really is something to see in the Park of Nations.
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How to get there
Due to the fact that the station building and the metro station are located in the Park of Nations, it will not be difficult to get to the sights.
So, it is most convenient to overcome this path on metro. The closest station to the sights is Oriente.
Bus: buses No. 794, 705, 744, 750, 759, 708, 725 run regularly to the Park of Nations.
Train: your stop, as in the case of the metro - "Oriente".
By car: if you are driving from the side east coast Tagus river, your path will pass through the Vasco da Gama bridge. On the route, which, by the way, includes paid sections, take about 25-30 minutes. You can leave your car in a paid underground parking near the shopping center or train station.
If you do not want to go into the details of the route, just call Taxi. You can use the services of local services, or you can call Uber, which is popular with many Russians.
Nations Park in Lisbon on Google Panorama
Video about the Park of Nations
The exhibition lasted only 5 months, then all objects were re-profiled, and the territory was turned into a Park of Nations, amazing in scale and open spaces. This is a modern residential and business district with a great waterfront, lots of art and chic restaurants.
The most interesting building in the park is, of course, the tower of Vasco da Gama. Until recently, she looked like this. Unfortunately, the observation deck at the top has been closed to visitors for quite some time.
In 2012, the five-star MYRIAD by SANA Hotels was added to it. This is the only waterfront hotel and the best in Lisbon, so we spent a few nights here (booking.com).
The view from the windows of the hotel, the low tide is clearly visible. We filmed a time lapse of the ebb, see this link.
It is very convenient to live here, as the Oriente station is a 15-minute walk from the hotel. And from it you can easily get to both the center and Sintra. In the mornings we went for a run on the embankment and met the sunrise.
In the evening, the embankment also looks fabulous.
Near the bridge, in order to increase the territory of the embankment, bridges were laid directly over the water.
The embankment itself stretches for 5 kilometers, so it’s simply impossible to get around everything here in one day, but two days will be enough. If you have a bike, then you can do it in a day.
A cable car was built along the coast.
Country flags
Ukraine
luxury housing
artificial bay
The natives of this bay
The largest indoor aquarium in Europe
The tides give this place a special touch.
You can dine at mall Vasco da Gama, near the Oriente station. There is a huge food court.
How to get there: by metro, train or train to Oriente station.
