What to visit near Lisbon, Leiria
We often get this question from people who have already become addicted to the beauty and magic of Lisbon city. What to visit near Lisbon, Leiria is today’s suggestion.
Maybe the name of this town doesn’t sound very familiar to you, but the truth is Leiria, with is 50.000 inhabitants, can truly capture your heart, plus you get to get away from the hustle and bustle of the great metropolis for a little while.
Inhabited since time immemorial, Leiria was occupied by the Suebi in the 5th century and then by the Visigoths a century and a half later, only to be captured by the Moors and then retrieved by Alfonso Henriques, the first Portuguese King in 1135, during the Reconquista. It was the king who gave the town the first foral, empowering it with feudal privileges.
Leiria boasts with a great history and culture and its main tourist attraction, the Castle of Leiria, hosts countless events and vernissages. An annual music festival is held here at the imposing Church of Saint Peter, while the unique in Portugal museum Museu do moinho do papel, a museum of the moving image and paper, can also be found in town, displaying the first paper mill to be introduced in Portugal.
The cinema and theatre also find their place in Leiria and the town prides itself for being the birthplace of famous Portuguese writers like Francisco Rodrigues Lobo, Afonso Lopes Vieira and Eca de Queiroz. The city has a lovely promenade, but there are also other activities you can choose to practice.
For instance, you can admire the traditional Portuguese headgear in the 1928 Chapeleria Liz.If you like sports, you can go to the Estadio Municipal de Leiria. And the ladies will love Leiria Shopping.
If you want to visit the town, you can also book your transport with Lisbon taxi!
