Coimbra is a city and a municipality in Portugal, former capital of the country during the first dynasty period and home to the University of Coimbra, the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world and one of the oldest in Europe. According to the INE's census of 2001, the city proper had a population of 101,069 and the municipality had a population of 148,443 inhabitants in a 319.4 km² land area. Over 430,000 inhabitants live in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Coimbra made of 16 municipalities comprising a 3,372 km² territory. It is the seat of the Centro region, as well as of the District of Coimbra and the Baixo Mondego subregion which are both located within it. Like most university cities, it comprises a large number of dislocated students from outside Coimbra among its residents, including thousands of international students.
Coimbra is one of the most important urban centers of Portugal after the much larger Lisbon Metropolitan Area and Porto Metropolitan Area. Coimbra plays a role as the chief urban centre of the central part of the country. The city contains important archeological remains of structures dating from the time when it was the Roman town of Aeminium, such as its well-preserved aqueduct and cryptoporticus, as well as from the period when it served as the capital of Portugal (from 1139 to about 1260). In the Late Middle-Ages, declining as the political centre of the Kingdom of Portugal, Coimbra began to evolve into a major cultural centre with the foundation of the University of Coimbra in 1290. The university, one of the oldest in Europe, attracts visitors from around the world due to its monumental buildings and history, making the city an important touristic destination.
PLACE TO VISIT
University of Coimbra
Botanical Garden
Machado de Castro National Museum
Old Cathedral(Se)
New Cathedral of Coimbra
Igreja de Santa Cruz
Medieval Downtown
Jardim da Sereia - "Mermaid's Garden"
Penedo da Saudade
Sister Lucia of Jesus Memorial
Parque Manuel Braga and Parque Verde do Mondego- City parks by the Mondego River
Mondego River
Portugal dos Pequenitos - "Portugal of the little ones"
Quinta das Lagrimas and its tragic story of love.
Sta. Clara-a-Velha Convent
Sta. Clara-a-Nova Convent
Eurostadium Cidade de Coimbra - one of Euro2004 stages
Museum of Science
WHAT TO DO
Have a walk up to the top of University Hill from the Mondego river (one of the three great rivers of Portugal).
Fado - There are two kinds of fado in Portugal: Fado from Lisbon and Fado from Coimbra, none should be missed.
Coimbra Fado group Verdes Anos
Student life - There is always a lot going on in the student community, go and find out what's up. There are two student festivals held every year:
Festa das Latas
Queima das Fitas
HOW TO REACH
By plane - The most convenient airports for Coimbra are (in order of distance):
Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport - Porto
Portela Airport - Lisbon
By train - All of the trains connecting Porto and Lisbon stop at Coimbra- B; about 1h00 from Porto and about 1h 45m from Lisbon. 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). Fast train only stop at Coimbra-B station, while Coimbra, or Coimbra-A is right in the city center. Train times (from any location) can be found on the National Rail - CP
By car - The best way to drive to Coimbra is using the A1 Highway. Take any exit to Coimbra and you will be about 10 min away from the city center.
By Bus - The bus station is located at Av. Fernão de Magalhães and is easily reached with a local bus or by foot. It has destinations for all of Portugal (with changes for some far away destinations), it´s faster and fares are - normally - cheaper than the train.
Coimbra is hard city to drive as it was built around the medieval structures. The best option for visiting Coimbra is to find an hotel with parking or to park near the city center and then walk around. The main attractions are in the city center and within walking distance of each other. Driving not advised in the city center, unless familiar. Also, parking is difficult.
