The best museums in Lisbon

Its architectural shape was the highlight of 2016 and it made pretty much everyone have a good reason to visit Belém. Even if just for this new building, designed by British architect Amanda Levete, and that sunset in the background – hello Instagram material. But there are definitely more reasons to visit the place. Check their calendar for current or upcoming exhibitions.

Housed in an 18th-century royal riding hall (commissioned by Dom João V in 1726), the Coach Museum claims to have the world's largest and most valuable collection of horse-drawn coaches – 45 of them in all. The oldest, used by Spanish incomer Philip II (Philip III of Spain) in the early 17th century, was outwardly austere so as not to stoke resentment among his new subjects, but plush inside. The art of coach-making reached its height in three Italian Baroque confections sent to Pope Clement XI by Dom João V; even their wheels are elaborately carved.

It's difficult to know where to start in this, one of Europe's leading fine arts museums, with exhibits dating from 2000 BC to the early 20th century. From the ancient world come Egyptian scarabs, Greco-Roman jewellery and a giant ninth century BC Assyrian bas-relief in alabaster of a warrior.

Perhaps the two outstanding rooms are those containing Islamic and Oriental art: carpets, robes, tapestries, tiles and glassware, mainly from 16th- and 17th-century Persia, Turkey, Syria and India; and porcelain, jade, paintings and lacquered boxes from China and Japan. The section on European art displays medieval manuscripts, and ivory and wood diptychs. Further on are Italian Renaissance majolica ware and tapestries, and a selection of 18th-century French furniture and silverware. Among the painters represented are Domenico Ghirlandaio, Rubens, Hals and Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Manet and Corot. Save time for the final room and its breathtaking glass and metal art nouveau jewellery by René Lalique.

Audio-guides are available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese to help you get the most from the experience. There are also excellent temporary exhibitions, with pieces lent by institutions around the world. Downstairs is an art library (which often hosts midday classical recitals on Sundays), an excellent café and a small gift shop. There's a larger bookshop in the lobby of the main building. Don't miss the Centro de Arte Moderna at the southern end of the park.

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga houses pieces that are pretty much essential for any self-respecting Lisboner to visit. With the Temptations of St Anthony and the Panels of St Vincent at its head, the MNAA is full of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, glass, drawings, jewellery and furniture, and is one of those institutions that's an obligatory stop at Janelas Verdes. 

The relics of the Portuguese Crown are on display at the Museu do Tesouro Real (Royal Treasure Museum), in the west wing of the Ajuda Palace. The security process to enter the building is time-consuming, but it's worth it to get a glimpse of the collection of goldsmithery and jewellery from the former Royal House, a collection that was partly destroyed in the 1755 earthquake and now totals more than 900 pieces. The permanent exhibition is divided into 11 sections: gold and diamonds from Brazil, Crown coins and medals, jewellery from the Ajuda National Palace collection, honorary orders, royal insignia, Crown silver, private collections, diplomatic gifts, the royal chapel, Baixela Germain and trips from the Royal Treasury.

Founded in 1911, this state-run museum reopened in 1994 after a hiatus following the Chiado fire. Notwithstanding the cool, modernist redesign by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the name - National Museum of Contemporary Art - is a little ambitious given the place's size and budget. Still, the rehang of a couple of years ago, involving 100 works from the permanent collection, offers an instructive overview of 150 years of Portuguese art - from romanticism through naturalism to neo-realism, surrealism and abstractionism - up to 1975. There are also changing exhibitions of contemporary art, and a pleasant café and patio that hosts jazz concerts on some summer afternoons.

This little museum near the Sé Catedral opened in 2015 in a building with some heavy history. Aljube was formerly an ecclesiastical prison, before becoming a jail for women and, in 1928, during Salazar’s “Estado Novo”, it was where political prisoners were held. The perpetuation of the dictatorial regime depended greatly on the repressive actions and censorship enacted by the regime’s security agency, which you can find out more about through documents included in the museum’s collections.

A plain building that was once the Royal Silk and Textile Workshop now houses this foundation, dedicated to exhibiting and promoting research into the work of Portuguese modernist Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and her Hungarian husband and fellow painter Arpad Szenes. Although the couple lived in France for many years and played a central role in the School of Paris, they’re also iconic figures in Portugal. As well as housing and displaying a large permanent collection of their works, the foundation puts on regular exhibitions showcasing artists connected to the couple, such as Fernand Léger and Marc Chagall.

The 18th-century Palácio Pimenta houses this city-run museum charting Lisbon’s history. Some displays are on the skimpy side, but they cover the ground as best as they can, starting with the Stone Age, then working through Roman times to the Visigoths and Moors and into modern times. The highlights, though, are a scale model of Lisbon before the earthquake in 1755, the fabulous kitchens and the formal garden where peacocks prance about – also where you’ll find Pavilhão Branco, an important contemporary art space. The museum has been carrying out important restoration work, so check the website for relevant and updated information on opening dates and times.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to have an enduring presence in Asia. Museu do Oriente, which opened in 2008, walks you through the story. The core exhibition includes unique maps and charts, priceless 17th and 18th-century Chinese and Japanese painted screens and other Namban (Western-influenced) art, as well as an important collection of artefacts from Timor. The museum runs courses on everything from languages to cooking and ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement), and hosts Asian, fusion and world music and dance performances. The top-floor restaurant (+351 21 358 5228) offers some fantastic views.