UNESCO Creative Cities - Central Portugal - 3-day itinerary

What are UNESCO's Creative Cities?

Description

A Cities Network UNE CreativesSCO - UNESCO Creative Cities Network - was created in 2004. The cities that are part of this project have the common goal of using culture and creativity as instruments for transforming cities into safe, inclusive, sustainable and future-proof places.

The Network serves as an international platform for exchange and collaboration between cities for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, specifically Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities. 

Turismo Centro de Portugal

What are the UNESCO Creative Cities in Central Portugal?

Five cities in central Portugal are part of UNESCO's network of creative cities. Leiria, Covilhã, Idanha-A-Nova, Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos.

Where is the Center of Portugal?

There are 8 sub-regions that make up Central Portugal (Beira Baixa, Coimbra, Leiria, Médio Tejo, Oeste, Ria de Aveiro, Serra da Estrela, and Viseu Dão Lafões). Central Portugal is bounded to the north by the Northern Region, to the east by Spain, to the south by the Alentejo, to the southwest by the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

You can find out more about the Center of Portugal in these articles:

3-day itinerary

I started my itinerary in Leiria, but you can start in any of the other creative cities.

Day 1 - Leiria

Leiria "Creative City of Music"

Leiria has been a Creative City of Music since 2019.

Interesting Places and Experiences

Espaço Eça Leiria

Home of the Creative City of Music

Leiria Castle

Historic Leiria Route

Screenplay of the Crime of Father Amaro

Leiria's Jewish Cultural Route

Ernesto Korrodi Viewpoint

Misericórdia Church

Rodrigues Lobo Square

Leiria Museum

Lizbrass - Leiria Brass Festival

ExtraMuralhas Festival

European Heritage Days

Fun fact: There's a saying in Leiria:

The right street is crooked
Rio goes backwards
The Bell Tower is not in the Cathedral
And in Leiria it's all like this

* This saying is used to justify anything that happens in Leiria, because it's not the Leirians' fault but it happens because it's always been that way.

Day 2 - Covilhã and Idanha-A-Nova

Covilhã "Creative City of Design"

Interesting Places and Experiences

UBI Wool Museum (University of Beira Interior)

Covilhã Museum

Historic Center of Covilhã

António Lopes Gallery

Urban Art Route - Wool Festival

New Hand Lab

Idanha-a-Nova "Creative City of Music"

Interesting Places and Experiences

Traditional Arts Center - Adufes building experiment

Raiano Cultural Center

Day 3 - Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos

Caldas da Rainha "Creative City of Crafts and Popular Arts"

Points of Interest to Visit

Crafts and Culture Cultural Association (ADOC)

Bordeaux Route

Fruit Square

D. Carlos I Park

Rainha D. Leonor Thermal Hospital

Ceramics Museum

Malhoa Museum

Óbidos "Creative City of Literature"

Interesting Places and Experiences

Santiago Bookshop

Organic Bookshop and Market

Literary Residence Rua Belo

Literary Man Hotel

Folio - Óbidos International Literature Festival

Latitudes - Literature and Travelers

Armando da Silva Carvalho Poetry Prize

Fernando Leite Couto Cela Literary Prize

Further reading

• Turismo Centro de Portugal website

  This trip was organized at the invitation of Turismo Centro de Portugal.