Top 15 best museums in Lisbonne2026 ranking

This gigantic museum consists of two buildings, the foundation and the modern art museum. I spent an entire afternoon there, and there is so much to see. Islamic and Asian arts, Greek and Egyptian antiquities, Impressionist paintings, the collections cater to all tastes. For my part, I loved the section dedicated to Art Nouveau, which features sumptuous glassware by René Lalique. Furthermore, the Japanese-inspired setting of the museum, bordered by a garden, is very pleasant.

I saw these pretty azulejos all over Lisbon and I was curious to learn more about them by visiting this museum. I was not disappointed. The collections are rich and magnificent. I loved the phenomenal fresco of Lisbon, which measures more than twenty meters. With a didactic and historical tour, the museum helped me discover a true art of tile making that has transformed throughout the ages. A local cultural heritage site not to be missed.

Modern and contemporary art with a pretty varied mix of paintings, sculptures, and creations. There is plenty of space to walk around and really appreciate the works. The entrance price is reasonable. A nice bonus for families is the kids area where they are introduced to art in a fun way (there are explanations in French in this part of the museum).

If you think this private collection from the patron Calouste Gulbenkian will be a quick visit, you are wrong! You will find exhibits covering a very wide range of eras and civilizations, from the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans of antiquity to the Middle East, the West, and paintings by the great Dutch or French masters. It feels like you are in a major national museum and not a private foundation. There is also a contemporary art section and a very beautiful garden. The cafeteria is very pleasant and offers honest prices. Beautiful place for art lovers.

If there had to be a museum dedicated to azulejos, what better place to put it than Lisbon? You will discover a huge variety of creations, coming from Portugal but also from other countries. Interesting.

When you walk through the streets of Lisbon, it is easy to think that azulejos are just the blue ceramics that decorate certain churches or old buildings. Well, think again! Azulejos come in every color and from every era! I really recommend heading to the museum dedicated to them to get a more complete look at what artists can create with these little polished stones. That brings me to the etymology of the word. I long thought it came from the word "azul" (blue in Spanish or Portuguese), but in fact, it actually comes from the Arabic "al zulaydj" (little polished stone). Anyway, that was just to impress you. More seriously, these ceramics and glazed tiles were very present in Arabic decorat…

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Very diverse collections ranging from antiquity and the Middle Ages to more recent centuries. A must-see: paintings, sculptures, but also crafts and earthenware. Portugal's heritage is in the spotlight, but that is not all. Works from all over Europe, like The Temptation of Saint Anthony by Bosch, and from Asia are on display here.