The memorial of discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) is a huge monument in Belém at the river Tejo. It was created by the regime of dictator Salazar to honor Prince Henry “the Navigator” who was an important figure for the Portuguese to discover the unknown world.
It was opened in 1960 and shows important Portuguese personalities like Ferdinand Magellan or Vasco da Gama. The stone statues are really beautiful and you can get up onto the memorial to use it as a viewpoint (and enjoy the vast compass rose on the floor – which was a present from South Africa). The memorial is on the way between the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the Torre de Belém, you will not miss it.
Padrão dos Descobrimentos
Avenida de Brasília