Step into the Riding School Where Lisbon's Coaches Still Stand
You arrive at Afonso de Albuquerque Square in Belém, and the first thing you notice is that the museum comes in two parts facing each other. On one side stands the 1787 Royal Riding School of the Belém Palace; across Avenida da Índia is a modern building completed in 2015. Walking into the old riding school, you're in the space where this museum began — the former Royal Riding School, adapted by court architect Rosendo Carvalheira with painters José Malhoa and Conceição Silva, opened on 23 May 1905 at the initiative of Queen Amélia of Orléans and Braganza. It was the first coach museum in the world. A visitable exhibition core remains here: coaches and landaus, the painting gallery of the royal family, and cavalry accessories.
Cross the Avenue and Enter the Suspended Nave
The new building opposite, designed by Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha with the Ricardo Bak Gordon studio and engineer Rui Furtado, opened on 23 May 2015 and now holds the majority of the collection. Its main pavilion has a suspended nave, with an adjoining building connected overhead; the layout forms a portico that creates an internal square with free public access. Inside, you walk among roughly seventy vehicles on display, from the oldest — a 16th-century coach — to a 19th-century mounted courrier. The collection spans ceremonial and gala vehicles, travel and leisure carriages, and equestrian accessories.
Stand Before the Coach of the Oceans and the Oldest Vehicle
- Look for the Coach of the Oceans, a national treasure that in 1716 formed part of the embassy sent by D. João V to Pope Clement XI.
- Find the Coach of Philip II, which belonged to King Philip II (Philip III of Spain) and was used during his visit to Portugal in 1619 — the oldest vehicle in the collection.
- Trace the 18th-century Symbols of Power, when the ostentation of D. João V's reign showed in the decoration of coaches used in grand ceremonies.
- See the range of types: coaches, landaus, sedans, carriages, baby carriages, litters, chairs, phaetons, milords, victorias, charabancs, hunting carriages, clarences, broughams, coupes, dormeuses, breaks, caleches, and mail coaches.
- Look at the harnesses, vehicle accessories, uniforms, musical instruments, a collection of arms, and oil portraits of the monarchs of the House of Braganza.
Objects That Carry Stories Across Empires
The collection of around 9,000 objects lets you follow the technical and artistic evolution of animal-drawn transport used by European courts until the advent of the automobile. Much of it came from the Portuguese Royal House; after the establishment of the Republic in 1910, vehicles from church properties and private collections were added. Among the gifts are a Mexican hunting harness in silver, two Algerian harnesses given to Queen Amélia by Colonel Ben-Daoud, a Brazilian gaucho saddle, a harness with silver applications given to King Carlos by the President of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, an Indian harness from Goa offered in 1872 to Infante D. Augusto, and Moroccan harness pieces gifted by Sultan Muley Hassam of Morocco to King D. Luís in 1878. You can also see the Landau from the Regicide at the National Palace of Ajuda, field or hunting carriages from the Museum of Évora, the Charabanc from the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa, and the Mail Coach from the Portuguese Communications Foundation.
Make Belém Your Day
The museum sits in Lisbon's western district of Belém, along the riverbank with the Torre de Belém, the Monument to the Discoveries, and Jerónimos Monastery, plus the Navy Museum and the Museu Colecção Berardo. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00 with last entry at 17:30; admission is €15.00. Since 1 February 2025, Dr Rita Dargent has served as director. If your timing is flexible, Belém hosts the Dias da Música festival at the end of April. A virtual tour is available if you want a preview before you go.
Start with the old riding school, then cross the avenue to the suspended nave, and give the Coach of the Oceans the time it deserves. Plan your Belém day around the museum's hours, and let the carriages carry you through three centuries of European court life.