Churches in Lisbon

Lisbon's sacred buildings range from a Romanesque fortress-cathedral to the exuberant gilded splendour of the baroque, and with the Gothic ruin of the Carmo Convent, the city still visibly carries the scars of the great earthquake of 1755. We've covered six churches and monasteries for you, spread across the historic centre and the Belém district. One thing worth knowing upfront: four of them can be entered free of charge in the actual nave, admission is only charged for extras like the cloister, museum or roof terrace.

The most important churches and monasteries

The showpiece is Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and masterpiece of Manueline late Gothic architecture. The monastery church, Santa Maria de Belém, with the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões, is free to enter; only the famous two-storey cloister charges admission.

In the historic centre stands the massive Romanesque Lisbon Cathedral (Sé), built in 1147, the oldest church in the city. The plain-looking São Roque Church in Bairro Alto surprises inside with the Capela de São João Baptista, one of the most expensive chapels of its time, made in Rome from gold, silver and lapis lazuli. The open, roofless ruin of the Carmo Convent above the Baixa has framed the sky since the earthquake and today houses an archaeology museum.

Above Alfama rises the domed baroque National Pantheon (Santa Engrácia), which serves as the country's hall of fame, among those resting here are Amália Rodrigues and Eusébio. To the west, the Estrela Basilica shapes the skyline with its white dome; it holds a huge cork nativity scene and is the western terminus of Tram 28.

Free or paid? The overview

The key rule of thumb: four of the six sites offer free church entry, with only the extras costing money. At Jerónimos Monastery, the monastery church is free and the cloister costs €18 (free with the Lisboa Card). At São Roque Church, the church itself, including the lavish Capela de São João Baptista, is free, you only pay to enter the Museu de São Roque (€8). At Lisbon Cathedral (Sé), the main nave is free, while the guided route through the choir and treasury costs €7 (€5 with the Lisboa Card). And you can step into the Estrela Basilica for free; only the cork nativity scene (around €1.50-2) and the dome climb (around €4-5) cost extra, both paid in cash on site.

Only two sites charge admission throughout: the Carmo Convent with its museum (€7, the ruin itself is part of the exhibition) and the National Pantheon (€10, free with the Lisboa Card). If you're combining several paid sites, the Lisboa Card often works out cheaper, and for Jerónimos, it's also worth booking a timed-entry ticket online during peak season to avoid the long queues at the ticket desk.