Portugal organised Expo 98, the last world exhibition of the century. It was also the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the sea route to India in1498 by the navigator Vasco da Gama.
The theme was "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future", and the entire area at the eastern end of the city's waterfront was rebuilt for the event. When it was over, the new urban district was dubbed Parque das Nações (Park of Nations), and is now one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in Europe.

Ponte Vasco da Gama	Pavilhão Atlântico

For the construction of Expo 98 the architects were inspired by great sea mythologies and Nations Park is a modern architectural showpiece, spread along a three-mile stretch of the Tagus river in north-east Lisbon. It boasts the vast Vasco da Gama shopping centre and cinema, an Oceanarium, the Living Science Centre, the Atlantic Pavilion (concert and sports venue), the Lisbon International Exhbition Centre (FIL), the Camões Theatre, Lisbon Casino and dozens of bars, restaurants and late-night venues. Enjoy the view from the cable car along the riverfront, hop on the tourist "mini" train, or hire a bicycle to get around at your leisure.

Take the lift to the top of the Vasco da Gama Tower for views of the city and the 17 km Vasco da Gama Bridge. While you're up there, look out for the Portuguese Pavilion, recognisable for its curved roof, designed by Portugal's most renowned architect, Alvaro Siza, and considered an architectural wonder.

When arriving, one immediately sees the Oriente station, built by the Spanish architect: Santiago Calatrava. The station looks like a forest of metal palm trees, it concentrates road and railway transport.

- the Vasco da Gama Bridge is 17 km long, with 12 above the estuary of the Tagus. From Febuary 1995 to March 1998 more than 3300 were employed for the construction of this bridge. The Portuguese government chose a private consortium, Lusoponte, composed of Portuguese, French & English companies, for the building of the bridge. The main bridge was built by the French company Campenon Bernard SGE. Until the 29th of march 1998, the only bridge in Lisbon was the 25th of April Bridge, built from 1962 to 1966 by American and Portuguese companies. This bridge is a suspension bridge, road and railway, and for a long time it was the longest bridge in Europe (2 278 m).

- On the left you can also see the Vasco da Gama Tower which shelters a restaurant and a 140 m high view-point. Then, one can take the telpher railway to have an overview of the surrounding 60 hectares around the 10 hectares site.

- The next stop has to be the Oceanário.
Built by the American architect Peter Chermayeff, it is the biggest aquarium in Europe that takes us from one ocean to the other: Antarctica with its ice-cold areas, populated with seals and penguins; the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean with its tropical fish; the rocky coasts of the Pacific with its submarine forests of seaweed and its sea lions; in the coast of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, with its great variety of fish. In the centre, there is an enormous tank (more than 6 000 cubic meters) with sharks, rays, tunas, but also fishes which move in groups. You will discover more than 15 000 sea animals and more than 350 sorts of plants. A must.

Vasco da Gama Shopping Centre