Portugal Travel Guide: Coimbra

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Coimbra

Centre of Portuguese Renaissance.
Famous for the ancient University of Coimbra.
Town of steep and winding alleys.
Guaranteed to charm, if not excite.
Population over 100,000 inhabitants.
Situated midway between Lisbon and Portugal.
Great place to relax and soak up Portuguese culture.

Coimbra is famous above all for its ancient university: one of the world's first. Coimbra consists of an upper and lower town. The bridge, Ponte de Santa Clara, crosses the Mondego River and leads onto the main square, Largo da Portagem, at its north-east bank.

Things To Do & See in Coimbra

From here the lower town spreads out principally along the busy and happening Rua Ferreira Borges to the next main square, Praca do Comercio. A little further up Rua Visconde da Luz is Santa Cruz, a Gothic church housing the remains of Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first king, and worth a visit for its exquisite tiles.

The upper town leads up to the hilltop on which the university sits. Founded in 1290, Coimbra University boasts some of the city's main architectural treasures, especially its beautiful library full of priceless books.

Below it are no less than two cathedrals: Se Velha, Portugal's supreme example of the Romanesque style, and Se Nova, a Jesuit church featuring an opulent altar.

Further west of the university is the center of the upper town, Praca da Republica, beside Santa Cruz Park (nowhere near the church of the same name) and with the delightful Botanical Gardens a little to the south.

Coimbra Tourist Office

Largo da Portagem (tel. 239 855 930)
Tourist Support Line, (tel. 800 296 296)
SOS line, 112

Getting to Coimbra

Train

Coimbra Station A is the main station for regional trains. Tel. 239 834 998 for local rail information.
Coimbra Station B is the main station for trains to and from outside the region. It is a 5-minute ride north of Coimbra.
Coimbra Parque Station in the south-east connects the town to the south.
Seventeen trains daily make the 2-hour or 3-hour 20 min-run between Lisbon and Coimbra.
Hourly trains to Porto; 1 hour 20 mins - 2 hours. One train every hour connects Coimbra to the coastal town of Figueira da Foz. It takes an hour and costs around EUR 1.45 one-way.

Coimbra Station

Car

From Lisbon take the A1 highway north. Takes about 2 hours.
But beware: most of central Coimbra is closed to cars.

Bus

Bus Station on Avenida Fernão de Magalhães.
Sixteen buses a day make the 2 hours 20 min-run between Lisbon and Coimbra.
7-12 buses a day run between Coimbra and Porto. It takes between 90 mins and 2 hours 45 mins depending on the type of bus.

Accommodation

Featured Hotel

Hotel Astoria, three star, 82 rooms, around EUR 80-90 for double room with bath.
Av. Emidio Navarro 21
Tel. 239 853 020
Fax. 239 822 057
Complimentary breakfast buffet, concierge, multilingual staff, room service, safe deposit boxes and laundry service. Indoor parking available nearby.

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