The name Belém is derived from the Portuguese word for Bethlehem. Belém is a district located at the mouth of the River Tagus. Many of Portugal's distinctive buildings and landmarks are located in this area. This was one of the main stops of our coach tour of Lisbon. There was a long queue waiting to go into the tower and we had no time to wait to go in. I, myself, do not like coach tours because you see too many places in a short time but you remember few, if any, of them. Besides, if you are not in the front seat, your visibility is very limited.
Built in the early 16th century, Belém Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries The tower was part of a defence system at the mouth of the Tagus river and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.
Many thanks for your views, comments, and FAV’s. They are very much appreciated.
A wonderful shot- I'm sure having the people in the foreground make it much more interesting than the photos taken by the people right down at the water's edge. That is some Queue!!
I agree on the coach tours - you can't fit everything in and when you run back to get to the coach on time, you find you sit and wait for the one person who didn't care about holding everyone up!
What a lovely tower. Really enjoyed reading about it.
Btw, I don't like coach tours either, for the same reasons as you mention. Our photos of Italy were taken on such a tour. I like time to explore and consider...not always worried about getting back to the coach in time! But it gets you there!
Lovely old building.....shame you could not go in.....just look at that queue.....my late Father was a European coach driver and when I was younger I travelled a lot with him.......I grew up with coach trips and still love them to this day!
What a lovely tower. Really enjoyed reading about it.