Leiria
Leiria was originated at the hill of its castle, having its original settlement within its walls, and later growing down to the banks of the Lis river. Today this is a modern city, with a rehabilitated public space, which possesses a very characteristic way of urban living, both during the day or at night. At the city’s historical centre, hundreds of people of all ages gather to socialize, this being a privileged stage to play, talk, listen to music or dance.
The built patrimony has the castle as its ex-libris and also integrates a great number of churches and Art Nouveau buildings.
Leiria has a very rich landscape and environmental patrimony, with unique natural beauty, such as the Leiria Pine Tree Forest, the Lapedo Valley, a place of worldwide archaeological importance since the discovery of the Lapedo Child burial site, the Ervedeira Lagoon, the Pedrógão Beach and the Monte Real Spa. Another great richness of Leiria is its gastronomy, dominated by the scents and flavours of the sea that contrast with those typical of the mountains, which can be appreciated at its countrywide known restaurants.
Visiting Leiria is taking a tour around a fascinating city, full of treasures which remember historical people and places, with a landscape dominated by the hill of the castle. Visiting Leiria is to appreciate a city geometry characterized by the course from the hill of the castle to the Lis river banks, by its squares and streets from the 14th Century, where the past and present coexist.
One can end the day trying the delicacies of the wellknown restaurants of Marrazes and making the most of the different places that create the city’s vibrant nightlife.
During your stay in Leiria, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the city’s cultural program provided, among others, by the Bank of Portugal’s building art gallery and by the José Lúcio da Silva and Miguel Franco theatres.
Around the municipality of Leiria there are many other places worth a visit, given the touristic attractions they hold, such as the monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça, both of them elected by UNESCO as World Heritage sites, the beaches of S. Pedro de Moel, Vieira de Leiria and Nazaré, the village of Óbidos and the Sanctuary of Fátima, among others.
