Lively Coimbra is an university center, which houses appr. 143,000 residents and it is the largest city of the Centro region as well as the third-largest city in Portugal. It has the oldest university of Portugal and it is known for its student festivals.

The city was called Aeminium in Roman times. Around the 8th century Visigoths ruled the city until it was conquered by Moors in 714. The reconquest of the territory was attained in 1064 by King Ferdinand I of León and Castile. Coimbra was the capital of Portugal from 1131 to 1255.

What to do and see in Coimbra

Jardim da Sereia

This majestic park offers rarely seen views. The staircase with azulejo-covered benches is a real eye-catcher. Here is also picnic tables for guests and a lake surrounded by a maze hedge.

Sé Velha Cathedral

This catheral is one of the best-preserved Romanesque buildings in Portugal, and it contains important cultural value. Its construction begun in 1139. In 1185, King Sancho I, second King of Portugal, was crowned in the cathedral. The cloisters were begun in 1218. In the 16th century, the cathedral saw multiple additions. The chapels, walls and pillars of the nave were covered with tiles, the monumental Porta Especiosa was built in the north side of the façade, and the southern chapel of the apse was rebuilt in Renaissance style.

Monastery of Santa Cruz

This monastery is located in the Santa Cruz district, and is widely known as  Igreja de Santa Cruz. The monastery is one of the Portuguese National Monuments. The monastery and church were erected between 1132 and 1223. The monastery was completely renovated in the 16th century by order of the King Manuel I,  and nothing remains of the early Romanesque monastery. King Afonso Henriques and of his successor, King Sancho I, have been buried in the main chapel. The sacristy of the monastery’s church dates back to the 17th century and keeps some notable 16th-century canvases.

Da Ciência Museum

The Science Museum of the University of Coimbra houses a remarkable collection of scientific artifacts, which is one of the most important in Europe. Exhibition shows scientific instruments from the 18th and 19th century of the Physics Museum, the collections of botanics, zoology, anthropology and mineralogy of the Natural History Museum, and the collections of the Astronomical Observatory and the Geophysical Institute of the University of Coimbra. See more information here.

Recreation

• Café Santa Cruz (Praça 8 de Maio).This picturesque café is set in former chapel with stained-glass windows and mosaic.
• Coimbra Walking Tour is an extraordinary guided tour with the historic characters and story-telling.

Buy

• Minipreço super market (Rua António Granjo 6C) sells famous clothing brands and good local food.
• Baixa and Santa Clara districts has many small hotels, shops and restaurants.
• The medieval center has many independent bookshops, galleries and toyshops.

Photos: With the CC licence / António Pinto, Varun Shiv Kapur, Diego Delso, Cecilia