A Humble Slice of Life in Leiria, Portugal

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There’s no shortage of interesting and enlightening destinations in Portugal, especially in the country’s central region. While there may be better known and more popular spots like Coimbra and Aveiro, the town of Leiria is an intriguing place nonetheless. Away from the coast, Leiria offers an insight into the more humble side of Portuguese life. Despite that, there are still some sights worth seeing in this modest city.

The City of Leiria

Not all that far from the coast and delightful Nazare, Leiria is a small city that really reflects modern Portugal. Like most of Portugal it’s home to a storied past, and that includes the country’s economic woes of the past few decades. In this city of roughly 120,000 people, it’s fairly common to see buildings in a sorry state or “for sale” signs plastered all over the place. The hardships here aren’t pushed back past major tourist attractions, they’re right on the surface.

Despite how all of this may sound, Leiria is certainly not an ugly city. Walking through its compact city centre, you’re treated to typical elements of Portuguese architecture. Streets and squares are decked out with fantastic tile patterns and old-world architecture that have me struggling not to use the word “charming”. This look and feel is best experienced in the Praça Rodrigues Lobo square.

Shooting off this square and linking up with the rest of the old town are a number of super-narrow streets that tread the line between weary and elegant. Here and there you can come across pieces of street art that support my conclusion that Portugal is one of the best countries to visit for street art. A perfect example, the below piece of storybook fantasy really captured my attention as I wandered about.

Parks and Riverfront

True to form for Portugal, Leiria benefits from several parks and a partially redeveloped riverfront. Trickling through Leiria is the Lis River and by it in several spots are parks or green squares that naturally gel with the city’s already calm and laid-back atmosphere. Away from the city centre, there’s a historic watermill and museum. Although I planned to visit the mill, the sight of several school groups already there was a pretty powerful deterrent.

Castle of Leiria

Without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest attraction of Leiria has to be the city’s gallant hilltop castle. Towering over the rest of the city, the Castle of Leiria is an ever-present landmark as you move through the city. A truly medieval castle, its strategic position and running crenelations immediately conjure up scenarios of knights and siege warfare. Walking your way up out of the city, it’s not too long before you reach the castle’s Albacara Gate and pay your €2.1 to enter.

Visiting the castle involves walking around inside the castle walls, through ruined and preserved buildings that once occupied the space. Probably the most impressive part of visiting the castle is climbing up onto the inner walls of the castle keep and being treated to spectacular city views. A close second has to be walking out onto the palace balcony with its graceful arched columns and feeling like royalty.

Information on the castle is pretty light so much of the visit is about appreciating what you can see of the castle itself and the surrounding views. The brief explanation given for the castle’s history involves it being taken from the Moors in the 12th century and undergoing additions in the 13th and 14th centuries. While more detail may have been appreciated, the castle visit was still entertaining regardless.

Visiting Leiria

Regarding advice for visiting the city of Leiria, including getting there, where to stay and where to eat:

• Although Leiria does technically have a train station, it’s not really anywhere the city centre. You’re far better served getting the bus to the city, with connections from Lisbon, Nazare and Coimbra.
• Aside from its surprisingly steep driveway, the Hotel D Dinis is a pretty good option to stay at, although there are actually quite a few more choices of hotels and apartments as well.
• All around Praça Rodrigues Lobo and particularly along Rua Dr. Correia Mateus you’ll find plenty of restaurants, ranging from international and modern to traditional fare.

Which places have you visited that feel like they plainly reflect the reality of life in a country? What do you think about visiting Leiria and its castle? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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