The Belém District is all called Santa Maria de Belém parish within the western limits of Lisbon, Portugal. The district is along the northern shore of the Tagus (Tejo) River estuary near its outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.

If you find yourself in the Belém district, you should check out the National Coach Museum. If you also love history and horses, then this is a museum you should visit.

National Coach Musuem

Lisbon’s National Coach Museum houses an essential horse-drawn carriage collection from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.

The Museum is in an old riding school and was inaugurated on 23 May 1905 by Queen Amélia of Orleans and Bragança. She was the Princess of France and married King Carlos I of Portugal. Nowadays, it is one of the most famous museums in Lisbon.

Distinguished Horse Drawn Carriages

Lisbon’s National Coach Museum features some particularly noteworthy horse-drawn vehicles, primarily those that belonged to Philip II of Spain (1581 – 1598). These carriages are the oldest in the collection. The Museum also possesses three carriages that belonged to Pope Clement XI. The conveyances were created in Rome in 1715 and were developed in a Baroque Italian fashion. 

The Museum also retains several paintings and other fascinating objects from the same period.

Well-worth visiting

The National Coach Museum is smallish but unique and charming. It is well worth visiting. This Museum is one of the most surprising gems in Lisbon.

The location is very close to the Jerónimos Monastery.

Location

Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, 1300. Belém.

Schedule

Tuesday through Sunday: 10 am to 6 pm.

Mondays: closed.

Closed: January 1st, May 1st, Easter Sunday, June 13th, 24th and 25th December.

Price

Coach Museum

 Adults: € 8 (US$ 8.60)

 Children (under12 years old): free

 First Sunday of every month: free

Picadeiro Real:

 General entry: € 4 (US$ 4.30).