Ajuda: the unfinished palace and the oldest garden
A royal palace that was never finished, Portugal's oldest botanical garden, and the quiet way down to Belém. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. Palácio Nacional da Ajuda
The royal palace begun in 1796 and never finished — half a grand design, lived in by kings anyway. The state rooms are intact and rarely crowded; it's shut Wednesdays. Go in, even briefly.

2. Galeria do Tesouro Real
The crown-jewels wing in the palace's western range, opened 2022 behind serious vault doors. The royal silver and the crown are the draw; a separate ticket, but the one thing here most people don't know to look for.

3. Jardim Botânico da Ajuda
Portugal's oldest botanical garden, laid out in 1768 on two terraces stepping down toward the river. Walk the lower terrace to the dragon-tree and the shell fountain. Quiet on a weekday; a small ticket, worth it.

4. Tapada da Ajuda edge
The old royal hunting park's gated edge, woods climbing the hill behind the garden. You can't wander it freely, but the boundary and the observatory glimpsed through the trees mark where the city stops.

5. Calçada da Ajuda descent
The long cobbled street dropping from the palace toward the river — old façades, the *elétrico* (tram) rattling past, washing on the lines. Take it slowly downhill; this is the lived-in stretch between the royal hill and Belém.

6. Belém riverside
You land at Belém with the *mosteiro* and the river ahead. End with a *pastel de nata* (the custard tart) and the tram or train home, or carry on along the water.

Ajuda: the unfinished palace and the oldest garden