Leiria, Portugal

Leiria is the capital of the Leiria district and a municipality of central Portugal (128 603 inhabitants · 565 km²), on the Lis river below a castle founded in 1135. The city lies about halfway between Lisbon and Porto, and the municipality reaches the Atlantic coast at Praia do Pedrógão.

The history of Leiria has its own page.

Beaches in Leiria

Leiria has one beach on the Atlantic coast, Praia do Pedrógão, listed in two bathing areas.

Monuments in Leiria

• Leiria Castle: a castle founded in 1135 by Afonso Henriques and later a royal residence, with a Gothic loggia over the city.
• Leiria Cathedral: a Mannerist hall church built from 1559 after the creation of the diocese in 1545.
• Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação: a hilltop chapel above the city, reached by a long stairway.

Museums and culture in Leiria

• Moinho do Papel: the first known paper mill in Portugal, from 1411, a museum since 2009 after its restoration by Álvaro Siza.
• Museu de Leiria: the city museum in the former Convent of Santo Agostinho, on the history of Leiria and its region.
• Teatro José Lúcio da Silva: the main theatre of the city, for music, dance and cinema.

Nature in Leiria

• Lapedo Valley: a limestone valley where the burial of the Lapedo Child, from the Upper Palaeolithic, was found in 1998.
• Lis river: the river that crosses the city, with a riverside path for walking and cycling.

Leisure in Leiria

• City visits: Visiting Leiria covers transport, the historic centre, the riverside and the food of the city.
• Monasteries nearby: the Monastery of Batalha and the Monastery of Alcobaça, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, are in neighbouring municipalities of the district.
• Coast of the district: Nazaré, Óbidos, Peniche and the Berlengas Islands lie south-west of Leiria.

Parishes of Leiria

• Amor (4 578 inhabitants · 23 km²)
• Arrabal (2 610 inhabitants · 20 km²)
• Bajouca (1 895 inhabitants · 12 km²)
• Bidoeira de Cima (2 236 inhabitants · 16 km²)
• Caranguejeira (4 331 inhabitants · 31 km²)
• Carreira (1 086 inhabitants · 6 km²)
• Coimbrão (1 726 inhabitants · 52 km²): the coastal parish of the municipality, with Praia do Pedrógão.
• Colmeias (3 746 inhabitants · 47 km²)
• Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes (34 644 inhabitants · 52 km²): the city parish, with the historic centre, the castle and the cathedral.
• Maceira (9 141 inhabitants · 47 km²)
• Marrazes (26 225 inhabitants · 33 km²): the most populous parish after the city parish.
• Milagres (2 829 inhabitants · 17 km²)
• Monte Real (5 542 inhabitants · 26 km²): a parish known for the Termas de Monte Real, a thermal spa.
• Monte Redondo (4 096 inhabitants · 45 km²)
• Ortigosa (1 971 inhabitants · 13 km²)
• Parceiros (7 535 inhabitants · 23 km²)
• Regueira de Pontes (2 174 inhabitants · 12 km²)
• Santa Catarina da Serra (4 572 inhabitants · 41 km²)
• Santa Eufémia (4 058 inhabitants · 20 km²): the parish of the Lapedo Valley and the Abrigo do Lagar Velho.
• Souto da Carpalhosa (3 608 inhabitants · 29 km²)

Healthcare in Leiria

Guides to Leiria

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Leiria, Portugal

Leiria Castle

Leiria Cathedral

Leiria Cathedral

Moinho do Papel

Lapedo Valley

Lapedo Valley

History of Leiria

History of Leiria

Visiting Leiria

Visiting Leiria