Portugal Guide: Coimbra

Coimbra, river and old town, Portugal

Coimbra. A view of the Velha [Old] Universidad district, across the Rio Mondego.

Coimbra, with a university founded in 1290, is popularly known as the 'Oxford of Portugal'. Well hardly, though it is indubitably ancient, does have some fine buildings and suffers under the same curse of traffic experienced by England's Oxford.
The most dramatic of the university's ancient treasures is the Joao V library with superb frescoes and tables of rosewood and ebony etched with Chinese designs in gold. Unfortunately access is restricted to small groups at limited times from March - September.

Otherwise tourists will be looking at the usual suspects: churches [especially the elaborate interior of Igreja de Santa Cruz], museums [especially the Casa Museu Bissay Barreto, a shrine to the good taste of a 19thC collector] and no less than three convents on the other side of the river - where you may be since you will almost certainly have to park there if you go by car.
Needless to say, with the huge student population nightlife is lively and varied and goes quite bonkers for a couple of weeks in May as they celebrate the end of the academic year. Starting on the first Thursday in May these festivities are known as Queima das Fitas [Burning the Ribbons], and consist of a wild parade, free fado concerts and much overconsumption of beverages.

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