Portugal: Leiria Castle
Leiria Castle in the central Portugal is a fairy-tale fully restored medieval fortress standing on top of a hill and high above the surrounding countryside. This was built as far back as 1135 by the first king of Portugal and then enlarged and fortified over centuries ever since. Massive walls surround the castle and church inside. It’s a spiral drive just to get to the fortress entrance, and then a steep climbing hike up to the main gain and then even steeper further up to the castle’s top and medieval walls of its towers. The reward – panoramic views of the town of Leiria and the castle itself below.
