Aveiro in the north is unique: it is criss- crossed by canals grandly embroidered
with art nouveau houses and spanned by hump- backed bridges. Here in colourfully
painted ‘moliceiro’ boats, seaweed is gathered in the vast saltwater lagoon.
Further inland you can sample the curative waters of the elegant thermal spa
towns of Luso and Curia, fashionable since early this century. And in the
Buçaco forest nearby, stands the Palace Hotel, resplendent with turrets,
arched galleries and an enormous marble staircase: a perfect hideaway for
romantics.
The lively university city of Coimbra is a mixture of ancient and modern.
Its streets are filled with the chatter of black-caped students and the soulful
tones of fado. The university library, one of the best in Europe, is a Baroque
fantasy where the rooms each lead into the next creating a telescope-like
effect. The old cathedral is one of the most important examples of Romanesquc
architecture in Portugal. In the Marchado de Castro Museum, you’ll find religious
art treasures and can actually explore the ruins of the Roman crypt over which
the museum was built. An even more impressive sight is the nearby Roman city
of Conimbriga. On the west coast, the town of Figueira da Foz has vast beaches
and a famous casino.
Further south is thc charming town of Leiria with its crenellated walls towering high above an almost perpendicular rock. From May to October, the n)ads nearby are lined with pilgrims - many on foot - visiting the famed shrine of Fatima where three shepherd children claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary.
Thirty four kilometres east is Tomar where the bastion of the Knights Templar later became the Convento de Cristo. Tales of mystery and hidden treasures echo around it’s cloisters and its crowning glory is the ornate Manueline window.
Another magical place is the Castle of Almmourol, just south, which stands on a tiny island and is steeped in legends of giants and knights.
Further opulent architecture can he discovered at Batalha in the Santa Maria da Vitória Monastery, with its flying buttresses, gargoyles, pinnacles and the intricate stonework of its cloisters. Close to this is one of Portugal’s most awe-inspiring monuments: the Monastery of Alcobaça, which has been given UNESCO world heritage status. The kitchen, with ovens big enough to roast six oxen at once, even has two streams converging through it into one. The monastery also contains the tombs of King Pedro and Inês de Castro whose passionate love story has inspired writers and poets all over the world. Many of the farming methods and agricultural science of the region introduced by the Cistercian monks are still in evidence today.
On the coast is the fishing village of Nazaré where you’ll find fishermen in knee length plaid trousers, and women in full skirts and seven petticoats, mending nets. The walled town of Óbidos should also not he missed, with its narrow streets of brightly white-washed houses and striking towers of the castle that’s now a splendid Pousada. Take just a short trip south and you can explore the active fishing port of Peniche which has a dominating 16th century fort built for protection against marauding pirates. The Costa de Prata is one of the most peaceful and romantic places of all.
source: www.manorhouses.com
