Living it up in Lisbon: five must-see attractions

Portugal's capital city is one of Europe's tourism hotspots. With a whole range of exciting sights to check out it's hard for visitors to know what to cram in to a short city break. You've got enough on your plate to worry about - booking the right hotel, buying foreign currency, purchasing holiday insurance - so rather than spend hours researching which parts of the city to take in during your trip, take a look at the following list outlining five of Lisbon's most impressive attractions.

Gulbenkian Museum

Experience some culture at the Gulbenkian Museum - or Museu Calouste Gulbenkian - which houses a large collection of ancient art including stunning examples of Persian art, Egyptian sculptures and paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Renoir among many, many more. For those with more contemporary tastes, the museum also contains a small selection of modern art. Add to that the two concert halls that stage regular music and ballet performances and you've got somewhere that offers something for everyone. The Gulbenkian Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5.45pm.

Lisbon Oceanarium

Featuring a 5,000 square-metre tank, the Oceanário de Lisboa is a truly stunning attraction. The main tank utilises four huge acrylic windows at the side, giving the illusion that the tank stretches far off into the horizon. The building opened in 1998 and has been attracting an average of one million visitors per year ever since. Breathtaking and educational, the Oceanarium is an absolute must. It's open year-round; summer opening times being 10am - 8pm, with last entry taking place at 7pm.

Monument to the Discoveries

A 52-metre high landmark of distinctive design, the Monument to the Discoveries - or Padrão dos Descobrimentos - is a tribute to 33 Portuguese who made a significant contribution to the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. Honouring historical greats from disciplines such as science, art, cartography and exploration, the monument was originally built as part of the Portuguese World Fair in 1940 - however, perishable materials were used so it underwent rebuilding work in 1960 using concrete to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator. The monument can be found at the estuary of the Tagus river in the Belém area of Lisbon.

Belém Tower

Also situated in Belém is Belém Tower, or the Tower of St Vincent as it is also known. The UNESCO World Heritage Site played a huge role in a number of Portuguese maritime discoveries during the aforementioned Age of Discovery. Built in the sixteenth century from limestone by order of King John II, the tower had two purposes: to act as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and to be a vital part of the country's defence system at the mouth of the Tagus.

St George's Castle

Castelo de Sao Jorge dates back as far as 500 AD and as such is an interesting site for anyone with an interest in history. It also acts, however, as a magnificent platform for stunning panoramic views of the Tagus and the Alfarma medieval district below. Visitors are able to climb the ramparts for the perfect opportunity to capture memorable holiday snaps, while an impressive multimedia show offers up a potted history of both the castle itself and Lisbon as a whole. Highly recommended.