Figueira da Foz is a great entry point to Portugal’s culture and history. You can find a lot of different types of cultural venues in the city. So bring your hat, a bottle of water and comfortable shoes to enjoy everything that the city has to offer. Find more…
- Museu Municipal Santos Rocha
It is located on Parque das Abadias, in the immediate vicinity of the Centro de Artes e Espectáculos, built in 2002. It has three main buildings: a Library (Biblioteca Municipal Pedro Fernandes Tomás), a photo archive (Arquivo Fotografico Municipal), a congress center with an Auditorium (Auditorio Municipal) for 226 people and various exhibition spaces.
It also has local archaeological findings exhibitions, ceramics, furniture, and folk art from overseas, in particular from the Portuguese trade relations with India (focus on furniture), Africa (focus on sculptures), and Far East (focus on ceramics). There is also a collection of contemporary sculptures, a numismatic collection, religious art, and historical weapons. In addition to these permanent exhibits, the museum organizes temporary exhibitions on archaeological art historical topics.
- Casa do Paço
Casa do Paço has one of the largest collections of Dutch tiles of an isolated figure in situ (the largest in Europe)
- Palácio Sotto Mayor
The bourgeois villa complex was commissioned at the end of the 19th century by the Portuguese businessman Joaquim Sotto Mayor. This was originally from Valpaços and had come to Brazil in wealth. During a visit to the city of Figueira, he decided to build a house here, where he subsequently lived for a long time. The building was designed by French architect Gaston Landeck and lasted for 20 years. The design of the interior was commissioned by famous artists of the time, among them the painters Antonio Ramalho and Dórdio Gomes. In addition to the main building in a French style, another building was built, with a characteristic clock tower, whose design was inspired by the Torre de Belém. The buildings are surrounded by a landscaped garden. An observation tower is the third building at the end of the garden.
- Forte de Santa Catarina
The Forte de Santa Catarina is located in the city and parish of São Julião da Figueira da Foz.
It was cooperated with the Fortress of Buarcos and Fortim de Palheiros in defense of the port and the bay of Figueira da Foz and Buarcos.
- Fortaleza de Buarcos
It integrated, along with Fortim de Palheiros and Fort Santa Catarina in Figueira da Foz, the defensive system of this part of the coast, namely the old maritime port of the town
There are countless churches with their golden carvings and archaeological remains dating back to the Jurassic period. All of this makes Figueira da Foz a destination with a unique historical heritage.