For our last day in Lisbon, we set out to do a deep dive into the 1755 earthquake and also check out the Belém district. We also ended our evening with a special Fado performance that brought tears to our eyes… read on to learn more!

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the girls were really interested in learning more about the 1755 earthquake. What better way than visiting Quake – a museum dedicated to this event?

What really sets this 9.0 earthquake apart from others is that the tremors lasted for almost 9 minutes. Most earthquakes last for only seconds.

Following the earthquake, major fires broke out across the city due to falling candles and collapsed buildings. To make matters worse, a massive tsunami struck the city and much of the Portugal coast that further damaged buildings and killed thousands more.

Overall, this was one of the most destructive natural disasters in European history!

The museum was very well done. They did a great job of setting the stage for what occurred during the 1755 earthquake, with interactive displays and gamification. It was like part escape room and part simulation. We highly recommend!

After all that history, we needed a pastry and lunch break! Time to visit Pastéis de Belem – where the tasty little pastel de natas were first created (they call them pastel de belem here). We decided to get table service in the restaurant, ordering pastel de natas for all plus coffees and sandwiches. These pastel de natas were fresh from the oven – warm, crusty and gooey in all the right places. We sprinkled cinnamon and powdered sugar on top – delish!

We spent a little more time strolling the parks and streets of Belém and catching a glimpse of the famous Jeronimos Monastery, then headed back to our hotel area for shopping and time to rest up before dinner.

We capped off our time in Lisbon with a traditional fado performance and dinner at Clube de Fado in the Alfama district. Funny enough, our waiter JP had grown up in New Jersey but moved back to Portugal to be close to family.

Fado is traditional Portuguese music characterized by its melancholic and expressive melodies, often associated with themes of love, loss and the sea. Our fado show featured three different singers, all unique in their styles (two women and one man). It was quite beautiful. Even though it was in a different language, you could feel the emotion in the singers voices. I’m so glad we shared in this experience and would definitely go to another show.

And that wraps up our Lisbon portion of the trip. Next up, our adventures in the Algarve. Stay tuned!