On its own lush grounds, the museum of the celebrated Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), a cultural trust, houses treasures collected by Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian (1869-1955) and donated to the people of Portugal in return for tax concessions. The collection is split in two: one part is devoted to Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Asian art and the other to European acquisitions. Both holdings are relatively small, but the quality of the pieces on display is magnificent, and you should aim to spend at least two hours here or even the better part of a day. English-language notes are available throughout the museum.

One of the highlights in the astounding Egyptian Room is a haunting gold mummy mask. Greek and Roman coins and statuary, Chinese porcelain, Japanese prints, and a set of rich 16th- and 17th-century Persian tapestries follow. The European art section has pieces from all the major schools from the 15th through the 20th century. A room of vivid 18th-century Venetian scenes by Francesco Guardi and paintings by Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir stimulate the senses, as do the Italian and Spanish ceramics, gleaming French furniture, textiles, and art nouveau jewelry.

If it's all too much to take in at one time, break up your visit with a stop in the basement's pleasant café-restaurant. There's an exhibition room here, too, with temporary displays. As you leave the museum, you can buy posters and postcards at the main desk.