The city of Leiria, in central Portugal, lies halfway between Lisbon and Porto and has about 130,000 inhabitants in its municipality. It is recognisable from afar by the castle that dominates the city from a hilltop, while at its feet the Lis river flows through fertile green countryside.
A little history
In Roman times the town of Collipo stood nearby. After Moorish rule, Leiria was conquered in 1135 by Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, who built a fortress here to defend the young kingdom's southern frontier. In the thirteenth century the city grew in importance: in 1254 the first Cortes attended by representatives of the towns met here, considered a forerunner of the Portuguese parliament.
King Dinis and Queen Isabel of Aragon often stayed in Leiria, and the king enlarged the great pine forest along the coast. At the end of the fourteenth century King John I built an elegant royal palace inside the castle. In the fifteenth century Leiria was also home to one of the country's first printing presses, where some of the earliest Portuguese books were printed.
The castle
The Castelo de Leiria is the city's symbol. Its walls enclose the Torre de Menagem, the keep, now housing a small museum; the Gothic royal palace with its fine eight-arched loggia, offering a spectacular view of the city, the river and the countryside; and the ruins of the Gothic church of Nossa Senhora da Pena. Climbing up to the castle at sunset is one of the highlights of a visit.
The old town
At the foot of the hill, the old town gathers around Praça Rodrigues Lobo, the main square, lined with arcades, cafés and colourful buildings. Nearby are the sixteenth-century Sé (cathedral), the small twelfth-century Romanesque church of São Pedro and the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação, reached by a stairway on the far side of the hill, with Baroque interiors.
Leiria is also a city of museums: the Museu de Leiria, in the former convent of Santo Agostinho, tells the story of the area, while m|i|mo, the museum of the moving image, is devoted to photography and cinema. Along the Lis, a pleasant park and a cycle path invite you to stroll.
The King's Pine Forest and the beaches
Between Leiria and the ocean stretches the Pinhal de Leiria, also called the Pinhal do Rei, the King's Pine Forest: a huge maritime pine forest of about 11,000 hectares, begun in the thirteenth century under Afonso III and enlarged by King Dinis to hold back the advancing dunes and supply timber for the Portuguese fleet. In 2017 a huge wildfire destroyed much of it, and slow reforestation is now under way.
Leiria's coast has fine Atlantic beaches: São Pedro de Moel, a quiet resort with its lighthouse, Praia da Vieira and Pedrógão, linked by roads and cycle paths through the forest.
Surroundings
Leiria is an ideal base for central Portugal: a few kilometres away are the Batalha Monastery, a Gothic masterpiece and UNESCO site, the sanctuary of Fátima, Alcobaça Monastery, the town of Nazaré, famous for its giant waves, and the medieval village of Óbidos. Leiria is served by the A1 motorway and frequent buses from Lisbon and Coimbra.