Núcleo Arqueológico: An Incredible Journey Through Hidden Lisbon

This extraordinary archaeological museum, located on and beneath Rua Augusta in the city's Baixa (downtown) district, is one of the city's more unusual visitor attractions. The museum was built around excavations that revealed the remains of Iron Age dwellings and Roman fish-preserving tanks discovered by a construction team while building a new bank.

More artifacts were discovered as work progressed, including Roman mosaics, a 5th-century Christian burial chamber, and the foundations of Moorish walls and flooring. The developers chose to build on top of a site that had been occupied by various civilizations for thousands of years. Indeed, medieval pottery and coins were discovered, as well as 18th-century foundations. Instead of demolishing this fascinating multi-layered treasure trove, it was decided to build over and around it to preserve the entire site.

Today, you can take part in a free, pre-booked guided tour that begins on the ground floor in the exhibition hall, which has glass floor panels that allow visitors to see sections of the excavated basement. The history lesson continues downstairs, where you will be guided through a series of eerie, subterranean galleries designed to display what has been hidden for millennia. By chance, the bank's name is Millennium.

Address: R. dos Correeiros 9, 1100-061 Lisboa, Portugal
Timings: 10AM - 5PM
Phone: +351 21 113 1070
Google rating: 4.5/5

Website: https://www.fundacaomillenniumbcp.pt/nucleo-arqueologico/