Leiria and Batalha Monastery tour

In this tour we will take you through the main sites and landmarks of Leiria, including the Painters House, the Arch House, Leiria´s Cathedral and much more. You will follow the footsteps of Eça de Queiroz, one of the most important writers in the Portuguese language, and Rodrigues Lobo, the city´s most famous poet. Last but not least, we will give you a taste of a local delicacy: Brisa do Lis. 

Batalha Monastery (XIV-XV century) is a true and unique masterpiece of European architecture (late Portuguese Gothic and Manueline style). 

You will be able to see the marvelous royal pantheon, the resting place of King D. João I and England born Queen D. Filipa de Lencastre and also and their famous offspring: they would be later described by Camões as the “Ínclita Geração”, the “Illustrous Generation”. They were immensely consequential to the history of the country- and the world. Among them, King D. João II and Henry the Navigator, two key actors in the Portuguese Discoveries around the world, which paved the way for Portugal to become the first global empire. 

The Monastery of Batalha was built to commemorate the decisive victory of the Portuguese in the Battle (“Batalha”) of Aljubarrota in 1386 against the Kingdom of Castille. It became a symbol of national independence and marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Portugal. 

Consecrated to the Virgin Mary, the monastery was run by the monks of the Dominican Order, who lived and worshiped here for over 600 years, inspired by the colored lights of the stained glass of the cathedral, the first of its kind in the country.