10 Best Sights in Lisbon, Portugal

Set in lovely gardens, this magnificent museum houses the treasures collected by Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. The main collection (undergoing refurbishment until July 2026) is split in two; one part is devoted to Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Asian art, and the other to European acquisitions. A walk through the gardens, where there's a café with a pleasant terrace, leads to the Modern Collection (open during refurbishment), where the 9,000 pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries include sculptures, paintings, and photographs. English-language notes are available throughout, and you should plan to spend at least two hours here. 

An 18th-century palace between Alcântara and Belém was transformed into Europe’s first museum and five-star hotel under one roof. Opened in 2025, it showcases the vast private collection of Portuguese businessman Armando Martins. The permanent exhibition feature works by big name Portuguese and international artists like Paula Rego and Dan Graham. Themed temporary exhibitions tackle subjects like war, climate, and identity.

Housed in the minimalist Centro Cultural de Belém, the Museum of Contemporary Art showcases one of Europe's most important private collections of modern art. Works from the Berardo treasure trove—which range from Picasso and Warhol to Portugal's own Paula Rego—are on show in a more permanent exhibition that walks through various modern art movements. There are also excellent visiting exhibitions. The complex has several bookstores, cafés, and gift shops.

The curved, white, ultramodern building housing this museum is a striking sight on the banks of the Tagus. Inside you'll find immersive exhibitions from the likes of revered Portuguese street artist Vhils. A relaxed restaurant overlooks the river. The refurbished 1908 power station next door is part of the museum complex and offers enlightening tours.

Portugal’s National Ancient Art Museum is housed in an opulent 17th-century palace, built at the behest of the Count of Alvor and later occupied by the brother of the Marquis de Pombal. Try not to spend too much time gaping at the dramatic painted ceilings, stucco detailing, and baroque doorways or you’ll miss the collection of more than 40,000 works, including the unsettling 1501 triptych Temptation of Saint Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch, one of the most important pieces in the country. A café set in lovely gardens is the perfect place for a bite.

Júlio Pomar was one of Portugal’s leading 20th- and 21st-century artists, and this small museum was also his studio until his death in 2018. The building is a former warehouse, now redesigned by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, and it presents temporary exhibitions of Pomar’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures—as well as works by other local artists—spread over two floors.

This small but beautiful museum in a former silk factory displays paintings, drawings, and prints by Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and her Hungarian husband, Árpád Szenes. The couple lived in Lisbon, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro and were influential artists after their participation in the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. Most of Vieira da Silva’s pieces are geometrical abstractions and can be seen over the two floors of the building that face the arches of the city’s landmark aqueduct. Throughout the year the museum also hosts temporary exhibits of 20th-century and contemporary art.

One of Lisbon’s lesser-known but most extraordinary museums, this is the former residence of collector António de Medeiros e Almeida. Every room of his late-19th-century mansion is filled with works of art ranging from paintings to ceramics, sculptures to furnishings. Highlights include paintings by Rubens and Tiepolo, a Rembrandt portrait, a silver tea set used by Napoléon, fountains originally from the Palace of Versailles, and what's said to be the world's most notable private collection of clocks. There are free hour-long guided tours each Saturday at 10:30 and 11:30 am.

Portugal's National Museum of Ancient Art is housed in an opulent 17th-century palace, built at the behest of the Count of Alvor and later occupied by the brother of the Marquês de Pombal. Try not to spend too much time gaping at the dramatic painted ceilings, stucco detailing, and baroque doorways or you'll miss the collection of more than 40,000 works, including the unsettling circa-1500 triptych Temptations of Saint Anthony by Hieronymous Bosch, one of the most important pieces in the country. A cafeteria with seating in lovely gardens is the perfect place for a post-viewing drink or meal.

Also known as the Museu do Chiado, this museum housed in a former convent specializes in Portuguese art from 1850 to the present day but is currently only staging temporary exhibitions of contemporary paintings, sculpture, and multimedia installations. In the summer, there are jazz concerts on Friday evenings in its small walled garden.