Portugal’s Ministry of Culture has launched Património Cultural 360 — a free online platform that lets anyone explore some of the country’s most iconic cultural landmarks without leaving home.

Here’s what you’ll find:

— 67 virtual tours covering 90 heritage sites across 45 municipalities, including the National Palace of Mafra, Belém Tower, Batalha Monastery, Évora Cathedral, Sagres Fortress, the National Museum of Music, and many more;
— 232 National Treasures and more than 60,000 digitised cultural objects, ranging from archaeological artefacts to works of art. Many can be explored in interactive 3D, allowing visitors to examine details that would be difficult to see in person;
— Browsing by theme, historical period and interactive map.

The project combines photogrammetry, laser scanning, 3D modelling and high-resolution imaging to create detailed digital replicas of Portugal’s cultural heritage.

With a budget of around €14.4 million funded through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and involving more than 20 partner organisations, it is the largest cultural digitisation project in Portugal’s history.
The platform is also a useful tool for planning future trips. You can take a virtual walk through Batalha Monastery before deciding whether it’s worth visiting in person. Spoiler: it definitely is.