One of the fascinating places that we visited while we were in Lisbon was the Ajuda Palace that is located near the Belém neighborhood. It might have been due to the day that we visited, but we were surprised to find that there weren’t many people touring the palace while we were there. The palace was built on the hillside after the earthquake of 1755, but it was never truly completed due to Napoleon invading Portugal and the royal family escaping to Brazil. Even if it was not as grand as the royal family may have wanted, today it is certainly an enjoyable place to visit and see all of the grand rooms and artwork located in the museum.

As you walk through the palace, all of the rooms are ornately decorated with many beautiful details. Of particular interest for us were the intricate tapestries that hung on the walls of many of the rooms and the ceilings that changed with every room that we entered. Also, because it does sit high on one of the many hills of Lisbon, the views are quite stunning whether looking out of the palace’s windows and walking the palace grounds. As far as historical buildings that are used as a museum to display the furniture, art, and other items of the wealthy leaders of a country, this was truly quite stunning.

Although most of the tourist locations in the Belém neighborhood are located on the water, it is definitely worthwhile to make your way up the hill to take a self-guided tour of the Ajuda Palace and Royal Treasure Museum. It took us about an hour to walk through the rooms and enjoy all of the beautiful objects located within and that gave us plenty of time to enjoy some food at one of the many restaurants located in Belém.