Vasco of Gama Bridge the longest of Europe photographed from one of the pontoons of the Tagus River Walk in the Park of Nations in Lisbon.

Vasco da Gama Bridge - Lisbon visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Vasco da Gama Bridge' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Distrito Lisboa.

Vasco da Gama Bridge (Ponte Vasco da Gamma) is the longest bridge in Europe, crossing the Tagus River from Parque do Tejo in Lisbon on the north side of the Tagus to Montijo on the southern side. The bridge is 17km long, 10km of which is over the water. It was built as an alternative route over the Tagus to Ponte 25 de Avril.

Ponte Vasco da Gamma took 18 months to build, opening in 1988 in time for the Expo 98 World's Fair that celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery by Vasco da Gama of the sea route from Europe to India. The bridge has a life expectancy of 120 years, and is designed to withstand earthquakes and 250 km/h (155 mph) winds. The entire costs are covered by tolls.

On completion, Vasco da Gama Bridge was considered one of the largest and most successful civil engineering projects of the 20th century and was awarded the 1st prize by the prestigious institution Ibero-American Architecture and Civil Engineering in 2000.

This picture shows a view from the banks of the Tagus River next to Parque do Tejo just south of Vasco da Gama bridge. Within this pleasant park is a statue to Catarina de Bragança who played a pivotal role introducing tea to England. Further along the shoreline you can see the Park of Nations and the Torre Vasco Gama (Vasco Gama Tower), a very popular tourist attraction with a panoramic viewing platform at the top.

Posto de Turismo-Lisboa
Tel: 210 312 700
http://www.visitlisboa.com
E-mail: atl@visitlisboa.com

Flight: Lisbon International Airport (LIS) ( 4,5 km).
Metro: Oriente (Vermelha line)
Bus: 5, 25, 28, 44, 96, 204, 208, 210,708,750,759,782. Oriente bus stop
Train station: Oriente