Portugal · Distrito de Lisboa · Lisbon
Parque das Nações, Lisbon — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Parque das Nações is a freguesia on Lisbon's eastern edge, its riverfront holding the Lisbon Oceanarium, MEO Arena and Vasco da Gama Tower.
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Where to stay in Parque das Nações
How the choice of base plays out on the ground.
Staying in Parque das Nações puts you in a planned riverside quarter of wide avenues, glass towers, and open plazas rather than old-city lanes. Hotels here cluster near the former exhibition grounds, within walking distance of the Lisbon Oceanarium and the MEO Arena, a practical base around concert nights and conventions. It suits calm evenings and river views.
Families gravitate to the Oceanarium and the Pavilhão do Conhecimento next door. Those chasing nightlife or medieval streets will find central Lisbon a better fit.
Things to do in and around Lisbon
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva Science Centre Heritage
- Ceramics Museum of Sacavém
- Centro Interpretativo do Parque das Nações
Churches & Religious Sites
5- Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Saúde e Santo André Heritage
- Igreja do Bairro da Encarnação Heritage
- Igreja de Santo António de Moscavide Heritage
- Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória Heritage
- Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Vitória Heritage
Castles & Historic Sites
1- Monumento aos Construtores da Cidade
Stadiums & Sports
1- MEO Arena Heritage
Landmarks & Notable Places
2- Quinta da Fonte do Anjo Heritage
- Vasco da Gama Tower
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About Parque das Nações
What are the main landmarks in Parque das Nações?
The flagship is the Lisbon Oceanarium. It stands out over the water at the river's edge, drawing the largest crowds. Nearby, the Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva Science Centre and the Ceramics Museum of Sacavém cover science and craft, with the Casa-Museu José Pedro adding a small house-museum.
The skyline belongs to the Vasco da Gama Tower, the tallest structure in Lisbon, while the MEO Arena stages the largest concerts. Two civic markers, the Centro Interpretativo do Parque das Nações and the Monumento aos Construtores da Cidade, record how the ground was built. Churches edge the residential blocks, among them the Igreja de Cristo-Rei da Portela, the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, and the Igreja de Santo António de Moscavide.
What is the history of Parque das Nações?
Parque das Nações is Lisbon's youngest quarter, and its nickname, Expo, records the world fair held here in 1998. That exposition remade this stretch of eastern riverfront into avenues, gardens, and a marina. Its signature buildings survive from that moment: the Lisbon Oceanarium, the Vasco da Gama Tower, the MEO Arena, and the Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva Science Centre.
As a freguesia, Parque das Nações was formally created in 2012. The name outlasted the fair.
Where is Parque das Nações?
The quarter occupies Lisbon's northeastern edge, fronting the Tagus along the city's eastern shore. Olivais lies immediately west. Marvila sits to the southwest.
To the north, the boundary meets the municipality of Loures. A riverside promenade runs the full length, linking the Lisbon Oceanarium at the water to the grid of avenues inland.
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Updated October 2026