Things to See in Portugal

Established in 1971, Peneda-Gerês has helped preserve not just a unique set of ecosystems but also a highly endangered way of life. Spread across four impressive granite massifs in Portugal's northernmost reaches the park encompasses boulder-strewn peaks, precipitous valleys, gorse-clad moorlands and lush forests of oak and fragrant pine.

The dull facade of this 16th-century Jesuit church hides a dazzling interior of gold, marble and Florentine azulejos (traditional tiles) - an elaborate canvas bankrolled by Brazilian riches. The pièce de résistance is the exquisite Capela de São João Baptista, to the left of the altar, a stylistic tussle between classical austerity and decorative hysteria.

The sprawling ruins at Conimbriga tell a vivid story. On the one hand, its domesticity is obvious, with elaborate mosaics and heated baths that bring to mind delightful, toga-clad dalliances. But smack through the middle of this tranquil scene runs a massive defensive wall, splitting and cannibalising nearby buildings in its hasty erection to fend off raids.

Chief must-see is the eclectic, brilliant collection of the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. One of Europe's unsung treasures, this museum, set in a sleek 1960s building, houses more than 6000 pieces spanning major epochs of Western and Eastern art. Idyllic gardens surround the space, and touch-screens provide information on some of the museum's works.

This much-photographed hexagonal chesspiece symbolises Portugal's glorious triumphs in the Age of Discoveries: it was from Belém that Vasco da Gama set sail for the New World. Designed by the brilliant Arruda brothers, Diogo and Francisco, the tower is a shaken-not-stirred mix of early Gothic, Byzantine and Manueline styles.