Coimbra combines a centuries-old university tradition with monasteries, collections and gardens. During your trip, you can focus on architectural and educational history, science or walks. Together, these places paint a picture in which higher education, religious history and landscape stand side by side.
University and city history
The Universidade de Coimbra was founded in 1290 and permanently established in Coimbra in 1537. The University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia is an integrated university city with ceremonial and cultural traditions that have remained alive for centuries. Its buildings reveal different chapters in the history of higher education: the university tower was built in 1728, while the Biblioteca Joanina was constructed between 1717 and 1728. It houses more than 300,000 volumes dating from before 1800. The tower and library offer different points of interest: one showcases architectural history, the other the long tradition of a historic book collection.
Monasteries and historic collections
The Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha was refounded in 1314 with the support of Queen Isabel of Aragon. Its church has three aisles of equal height with stone vaults and no transept. The publicly accessible area includes a visit to the open-air ruins and an interpretation centre. Here, architecture, ruins and interpretation offer different ways to explore the monastery’s history.
The Mosteiro de Santa Cruz brings together religious heritage and Portuguese educational and royal history. It houses the tombs of Portugal’s first king, D. Afonso Henriques, and his son, D. Sancho I. It was also a cradle of Portugal’s first medieval studies. The collections of the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro are housed in the Bishop’s Palace, which also preserves a beautiful 12th-century cloister. Beneath the museum is a two-storey Roman gallery complex, which probably supported a large square or forum in the ancient city of Aeminium. Its precise function therefore remains a possible, rather than confirmed, interpretation.
Gardens and science
The Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Coimbra was laid out in 1772 at the initiative of the Marquês de Pombal. Covering more than 13 hectares, it stretches in terraces from the university hill down to the Rio Mondego. The change in elevation gives the grounds their own distinctive landscape character and sets them apart from the monasteries and historic collections.
The Jardins da Quinta das Lágrimas also bring nature and heritage together. The Quinta covers a total of 18.3 hectares; the surrounding gardens are home mostly to exotic species, including some more than 200 years old. The estate includes a medieval garden, considered the first in Portugal, dedicated to the love story of Pedro and Inês. Woodland covers the southern slope and is ideal for long walks. Garden history, old plants and exercise offer different reasons to set aside time outdoors.
The UC Exploratório adds science to these historic themes: when it was founded in 1995, it was Portugal’s first interactive science centre. It includes a planetarium with hemispherical 360-degree projection. Portugal dos Pequenitos is considered Portugal’s first theme park and features miniature reproductions of traditional Portuguese houses and national monuments. The Casa das Caldeiras is dedicated to the interpretation and promotion of Canção de Coimbra. The cultural range thus extends from the university and music to science and miniature architecture.
Getting there and finding accommodation
Two details about Coimbra are useful when planning your journey: Coimbra A is a station on the main line; Coimbra B is in the city centre. Take these details into account alongside your own travel priorities when planning your trip.
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