Before I went to Portugal, I marked Torre de Belém as one of the destinations I must visit and I’m glad I put it on my list. I actually saw it on my first day of exploring the city while I was on the train. It was striking from afar but it was even more beautiful up close.

Near the drop-off point, I saw this but didn’t bother to read why it was placed there…

I’ve just recently known that the tower was declared a UNESCO World Heritage monument because “It is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.”

It’s good to visit the Tower on a Sunday because entrance fee is waived but it’s crowded so you have to squeeze your way in. It was even so hard to take a photo of this sign at the entrance.

I had a lot of fun exploring the tower…

Not to mention, the majestic view:

You may view more photos in my album: Lisbon 2011 Part 4 – Belem Tower.