Parque das Nações

Expo 98 was held on five kilometres of eastern Lisbon riverfront that had been oil refineries, a slaughterhouse, a container yard and a landfill, and the site was cleared and rebuilt for it - which makes Parque das Nações one of the more successful pieces of urban regeneration in Europe and, to some, the least Lisbon-like part of Lisbon. Calatrava's Gare do Oriente station covers the transport interchange in a canopy of concrete palms; Siza's Portugal Pavilion has a thin concrete sail suspended between two blocks; the Vasco da Gama tower and bridge close the northern end. The Oceanário, built for the Expo, is among the largest aquariums in Europe with a single vast central tank. A cable car runs a kilometre along the waterfront. It is now a residential and business district with gardens, a marina and restaurants, busy at weekends with Lisbon families.

History

The district grew out of the intervention zone of Expo '98, the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition, on land that had been industrial until the 1990s, and after the exhibition it became a commercial and residential district. Its landmarks include Santiago Calatrava's Gare do Oriente, Álvaro Siza's Portugal Pavilion and the Vasco da Gama Tower, and its marina has 600 moorings (Wikipedia, Parque das Nações).

What's there

• The Gare do Oriente - Calatrava's concrete canopy over the transport interchange.
• The Portugal Pavilion - Siza's suspended concrete sail between two blocks.
• The Oceanário - one of Europe's largest aquariums around a single central tank.
• The regeneration - a refinery and landfill waterfront rebuilt for Expo 98.

When to go

Year-round. Half a day, or a full day with the Oceanário. Weekends are busy with families; weekdays are quiet.

Before you go

It looks and feels nothing like historic Lisbon, which disappoints some visitors and relieves others. Everything worth entering is ticketed separately. The waterfront is exposed and windy. The Oceanário queues in season and is best booked online.

Nearby

The Vasco da Gama bridge crosses at the northern end; central Lisbon is twenty minutes by metro.

Key facts