The ancient fort on the Tagus River is a place that holds many secrets. For over 500 years, Lisbon has been guarded from the sea by the unusual Belém Rhinoceros Tower. The picturesque fortification was built with money from the sale of Indian spices, which were then valued for their weight in gold. The Belém Tower has been a fort, a powder depot, a prison, a customs house, a lighthouse, and holds many secrets.
To learn even more interesting details and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this historic place, use our audio guide. It will tell you not only about the tower’s past but also about the most colorful events associated with it!
How to Get There
There are various ways to get from Lisbon city center to Torri di Belém, which means ‘Tower of Bethlehem’ in Portuguese:
- By train to Belém railway station
- Bus 714
- By boat to Belém River Station
- Tram route E15
Tickets for public transport are purchased locally or bought online. Free transport around Lisbon and entrance to Torri di Belém is available to Lisboa Card holders.
Admission ticket- The attraction is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30
- Closed on Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, and 25 December
Symbol of Portuguese triumph
During the age of the Great Discoveries, Portugal was desperate to reach India for a trade that promised great wealth. When Vasco de Gama succeeded in blazing a sea route to the land of spices, the Portuguese were ecstatic. The king gave the navigator the honourable title of ‘don’ and granted him a substantial pension.
Annual expeditions to India made the Portuguese treasury rich. In honour of the epochal event, the proceeds were used to build the famous monastery of Geronimos, and to protect it, the fort of Torri di Belém, a tower on a small island in the southwestern part of Lisbon.
Rhinoceros and Dürer
When maritime trade between East and West was established, the Sultan of India sent the King of Portugal a special diplomatic gift – a live rhinoceros. It took four months for the ship carrying the exotic animal to reach Lisbon.
The giant, weighing two tonnes, made a strong impression on European scientists and philistines.
Not surprisingly, the Torri di Belém tower was soon adorned with a stone rhinoceros head. The formidable animal faces west, symbolizing the power of the forts that defended the approaches to Lisbon harbour.
The famous artist Albrecht Dürer lived in Nuremberg and was certainly not among those who would have seen the rhinoceros in Lisbon. He did, however, receive a detailed description of this exotic animal and an amateur sketch from his Portuguese merchant friends.
Inspired by these materials, the artist took up ink and immortalized the rhinoceros on paper, creating an engraving based on one of the sketches. Today, looking at Dürer’s work, one can notice many inaccuracies: the rhinoceros in the image has an additional horn on its back, and its skin resembles medieval lapel armour joined by rivets. Since contemporaries had not seen the Indian beast, Dürer’s engraving was long considered the reference image of the rhinoceros.
What else makes Torri di Belém so attractive
The fort consists of a slender tower and a wider casemate with artillery. The military importance of the bastion was rather modest: the cannons could damage enemy ships at a distance of no more than 1-1.2 kilometres. In addition, the Tagus River is much wider in its lower reaches, so the harbour was guarded by several fortifications for crossfire.
The fortress is built in the Manuelino style, a national variant of the Renaissance style, which is easily recognisable by its richly sculpted facades. The building is adorned with a statue of the Holy Virgin of Fortunate Returns, the patron saint of Portugal’s seafarers. In addition, a rhinoceros, crosses, nautical ropes, and knots symbolise the power of the Portuguese both on land and at sea.
The vaulted halls of Kings, Governor, Audiences, and the Castle Chapel are open to tourists. The interiors are rather ascetic, but the open terrace below has welcomed sailors returning to Lisbon in the past.
It’s important to remember that the floors are accessed by a steep spiral staircase, and visitors’ movement up and down is regulated by traffic lights with arrows.
What to see nearby
From the bastion, the narrow balcony and the windows, you can enjoy an impressive panorama of the Portuguese capital. A great place to admire the view of the bay and the long suspension bridge that connects Lisbon to the satellite city of Almada.
Lisbon: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus TourWithin walking distance of the tower are:
- Jeronimos Monastery, a beautiful example of Manuelino-era architecture that is worth a visit for its unique details and history
- The Monument to the Discoverers, a monument dedicated to the travellers who paved the sea routes to India and America
- The picturesque Torri di Belém Garden, a beautiful place to relax with views of the Tagus River and an atmosphere of tranquillity
- The Memorial with Museum and Eternal Flame, a monument to the fallen soldiers of the Portuguese army, with an interesting exhibition about the military history of the country
- Lusitania Naval Aeroplane Monument – a monument associated with an important event in Portuguese aviation history
A walk through a Portuguese city is a real adventure when you take our audio guide with you. It will turn familiar streets into an exciting journey, telling fascinating stories and revealing secrets to you.
Don’t forget that the Belém Tower is just one of the many fascinating stories of Portugal. If you are interested in learning more about other places like the Magic Cave of Benagil or Madeira Island, feel free to embark on a journey, a journey, and so far a virtual one.
Donatas Kartanovičius / Unsplash 
Yves Scheuber / Unsplash
Donatas Kartanovičius / Unsplash
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