National Shrine of Christ the King

Cristo Rei in Almada stands on the southern bank of the Tagus directly opposite Lisbon — a 28-metre Christ figure mounted on a 75-metre concrete pedestal, rising roughly 103 metres above the river. The national shrine was consecrated in 1959 under António de Oliveira Salazar's authoritarian Estado Novo regime, fulfilling a vow made by Portuguese bishops in gratitude for the country's neutrality during World War II. The design was inspired by Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer, which a Portuguese cardinal visited in 1934 and championed as a model. A lift carries visitors to the observation platform at the statue's base, where panoramic views sweep across Lisbon's skyline, the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge, and the Tagus estuary. It remains an active pilgrimage site as well as one of the most photographed viewpoints in the greater Lisbon area.