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Some of the country's most impressive architecture, historical and religious sites can be found in this region, in the center of Portugal.
On the coastline, nearly empty beaches
mix with quaint fishing towns and villages, of which Nazaré is one of
the finest examples; inland, fertile country stretches along the banks
of rivers like the Tagus, producing livestock and crops from grapes to
fruit and rice.
Coimbra, the
birthplace of six kings and the seat of the country's oldest
university, fascinates with its historical associations, and nearby you
can visit the largest escavate Roman site in Portugal, Conímbriga.
Further north, the city of Aveiro, once a great seaport, still carries the charm of its canals and lagoon, known as "the ria".
Not far from Lisbon, the ancient city of Leiria, with its fortified castle
built early in the 12th century, is a good base from which to visit the
great abbeys of Batalha and Alcobaça and the well known shrine of
Fátima.
Regional food in all
this area is richly varied: from the eel stew of Aveiro to roasted
sucking pig near Coimbra, and an immensity of seafood dishes along the
coast.
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