Portugal · Distrito de Lisboa · Lisbon
Parque das Nações, Lisbon — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Parque das Nações is a freguesia on the eastern edge of Lisbon, colloquially called Expo after the world fair that shaped it. Its riverfront lines up a run of modern attractions, from the Lisbon Oceanarium to the MEO Arena and the Vasco da Gama Tower, all within a few minutes' walk. This is Lisbon's newest quarter. It was planned in full rather than grown over centuries.
About Parque das Nações
Where to stay in Parque das Nações
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
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.
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.
Good for
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Updated July 2026