We found this museum while near the monastery. It has loads of exhibits about the nautical and naval history of Portugal and Lisbon. These are interesting but we found the actual ships to be the best part. Increasingly ornate and large rowing and sailing ships. Well preserved and the museum is basically empty so we had the place to ourselves. Definitely worth the stop.
My husband is a history teacher and LOVED this museum. Excellent collection of old maps, real sailing vessels, and generic maritime artifacts. I too, enjoyed walking through the museum and learning about Portuguese military and exploration history, as well as admiring the room full of old boats. I'd say it's worth a visit if you're in the area.
If you are in Lisbon you know Portugal was the world leader in naval navigation. So much of its past was built on the wealth amassed from its overseas trade. So this museum provides a tremendous source of information on the key events of Portuguese history.
Of course none of the terrible aspects of European world domination is mentioned. This is not a balanced socially contexted view of history. That being said it provides a great insight to the past. The one museum you must visit if you are in Belem
Some pieces of the collection were , indeed, great but there was so much left out. Not a single mention of the slave trade for one ?!?!
Portugal obviously has a rich maritime history, and this has a nice summary of just how rich a history it is. It's got an enormous collection of model ships, charts, instruments, etc. It's worth a visit when you're in Belem.
