Coimbra
[fusion_text]
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.
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.
Shopping
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.
Something to explore
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.
How to get around in Coimbra
SMTUC (Transportes Urbanos de Coimbra) buses operates traffic in the city. Single ride bus tickets on the city network are now valid for 1 hour, including transfers to other routes. These cost €1 for one, €2.90 for three and €8.50 for ten. A one-day ticket is €3.50. Various discounted pre-pay multi-journey tickets and other passes are available from the ticket shop outlets. Passes and multi ride tickets are issued on a rechargeable ticket card costing an extra 50 cents.
On weekdays, the main bus routes run every 10 or 15 minutes until around 2100, after which only a few routes operate every 30 – 45 minutes at best until around 2300. At weekends and on public holidays, buses are less frequent. More information in SMTUC website here.
Coimbra has the last operational trolleybuses in Portugal. There are two routes (numbers 4 and 103) linking the Coimbra (city centre) station with the University and neighbouring suburbs.
How to get in Coimbra
Two most suitable airports to get Coimbra are:
- Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport in Porto. List of its destinations and airlines is here.
- Portela Airport in Lissabon. List of its airlines here.
All of the national CP trains connecting Porto and Lisbon stop at Coimbra- B. Long distance services only serve Coimbra B station (away from city center) but all tickets include a 5 min train ride to Coimbra A (center of Coimbra)”Baixa de Coimbra”{downtown}. Fast train only stop at Coimbra-B station, while Coimbra, or Coimbra-A is right in the city center. The journey planner and ticket prices are visible in the CP website here.
Rede Expressos operates bus lines almost everywhere in Portugal and connects Coimbra with major Portuguese cities. Bus trips are slightly cheaper than travelling by train. The bus station is located at Av. Fernão de Magalhães, about 10 minutes walk from the city center.
Top 5 in Coimbra
- Relaxing in Jardim da Sereia
- Sé Velha Cathedral
- Monastery of Santa Cruz
- Shopping in Baixa
- da Ciência Museum
Text: Timo Hellman
Photos: With the CC licence / António Pinto, Varun Shiv Kapur, Diego Delso, Cecilia[/fusion_text]
