Museu de Marinha

A short walk from the Tagus in Belém, the Museu de Marinha keeps the memory of Portugal’s long conversation with the sea. Founded in 1863 by King Luís I — a naval officer himself — it fills the west wing of the Jerónimos Monastery, and its halls trace the country’s maritime story from the age of discovery to the river craft of the Tagus.

A museum founded by a sailor king

King Luís I gathered the first collection by decree in 1863, and the museum remains under the care of the Portuguese Navy. Its rooms hold ship models of every scale, navigational instruments and painted figureheads, alongside the barges and ceremonial craft that once carried the court along the river. The building is part of the story: the neo-Manueline wing stands within the UNESCO World Heritage complex of the monastery, on the Belém riverside where the age of discovery left its monuments. Two other Lisbon museums make natural companions — the city’s own history at the Museu de Lisboa and the great tile collection of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo.

What to see

• Ship models from caravels to modern warships
• Navigational instruments and naval weapons
• The royal barges and ceremonial craft
• The painted figureheads and decorations
• The architecture of the monastery’s west wing

Practical information

The museum stands in the Belém quarter of Lisbon, beside the Jerónimos Monastery, in the riverside stretch where the city’s monuments cluster. Belém rewards a day on foot: bring comfortable shoes and sun protection for the walk between sights, and check the museum’s official website before visiting.

Image credit: Lisbon Museu de Marinha by tomislav medak — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.