Belem is one of the most visited areas of vibrant Lisbon and there I headed on a sunny Sunday to visit the maybe biggest cultural attraction of the city: The Monasterio de los Jeronimos.
However as a newbie in the Portuguese capital, I was not aware of the insane queues to access the building (the cathedral part seems to have free entrance) and I tried to find the tickets stands to buy a ticket for the other areas. It was impossible, I could not find any ticket stand open around so I guess I will have to purchase online and visit in the future when the amount of tourists lower down a bit.
I still wanted to make the most out of my Sunday, and as Belem does not lack of other interesting and beautiful sights to explore, I headed to the Museo Nacional dos Coches.
Now, mind not to being confused with the content of such a museum, as it is not about classic or sports cars. You will not see Ferraris, BMWs or racing tuned Porche there. The museum is dedicated to old historical royal carriages in Portugal (though due to its interlinked history with Spain, you will also be able to see a bunch that belonged to the Spanish royal family) and actually the museum per se is divided into 2 buildings, one that is very close by the Presidential Palace Residence and that used to be the old royal stables, which I found more beautiful and charming, although it contains less pieces of exhibition that its adjacent more modern brother, that is situated in a modern building across the street.
The combined ticket to visit both buildings costs 15 euro, and although it is not supremely expensive, I think a price of around 8-10 euro could be more fair.
In the first old stables building you will be mesmerized by the beautiful decoration in the cellar. The place is not very crowded and you can roam quite easily on the ground floor contemplating beautiful carriages, or climb the ladder up to the second floor to admire some paintings and an overhead view. The visit will not take long, but it is a very charming and photogenic place.
Once you are done with that first building, across the street you can visit the second part of the museum, where the displays are taken care in a more modern and sophisticated way, and you can see not only amazingly beautiful carved carriages that belonged to kings, queens and ambassadors, but also some other peculiar carriages that differ in styles like the Berlinesas, or jail and post services carriages, and even a couple of very beautiful vintage engine cars that were the first ones used in Portugal.
If you are a fan of history and old automotive items, you might enjoy this museum very much and the entrance is totally worthy for both places. Besides, you will be able to see some other historical items like weapons or uniforms worn by the conductors centuries ago. And even if you are not a lover of old carriages, the buildings still make up for some fantastic social media and memories photos.
Wanna discover other hidden gems in Lisbon? Explore:
https://www.freemagazine.fi/a-hidden-gem-in-lisbon-lisbon-city-museum-palacio-pimenta/