Being the ancient capital of the country in medieval times, Coimbra is one of the most historic cities you will find in Portugal. Moreover, it is characterised by its prestigious University, which houses some of the country’s most important buildings and architectural gems, such as the Palace of Schools, or the great Joanina Library.
If you don’t want to miss any of the wonders that Coimbra has to offer, with Passporter App you will have the best places in this wonderful city right at your fingertips, ordered according to the number of days you stay. So what are you waiting for?
To organise your trip we recommend using the Passporter app. Get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers and add the places that interest you to the route map. You can also keep all important documents in one place such as travel tickets or hotel reservations, among many other features, completely free of charge.
Things to see in Coimbra
Coimbra University
What is so special about the University of Coimbra? There are many things that stand out about this university, and one of them is its location at the top of the ancient capital, which offers incredible panoramic views. Another is its antiquity, being one of the first universities in Portugal, it has a history dating back to 1290.
There are impressive places to discover inside the University of Coimbra, such as the Joanina Library and the famous Royal Palace, with architecture that will captivate you and an extensive variety of art-filled rooms. Finally, you can end your visit by climbing the great tower of the palace, where you will witness the most beautiful panoramic views of Coimbra.
Royal Palace of Coimbra
Located within the prestigious University of Coimbra, the Royal Palace of the Schools, also called “Paco das Escolas” by the locals, is a historical site that you must see during your stay in Coimbra. Inside you will find the famous Joanina Library, as well as a beautiful structure and a façade that enchants all travellers who see it.
The palace courtyard is without a doubt one of the best areas you can visit, since here you can enjoy incredible views of the city and lush vegetation.
Joanina Library
The Joanina library was built in the 18th century and stands out among the baroque and neoclassical buildings on the university campus for its perfect structure and the large number of books and study areas inside. This place is ideal for travellers who love reading.
Visit the Old Cathedral of Coimbra
With opening hours from Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, the Old Cathedral, also known as “Sé Velha”, is the oldest cathedral in Portugal and the only one to have survived the reconquest.
Besides being enchanted by its antiquity, you will also fall in love with its façade, which is known to be the best preserved Romanesque structures in Coimbra. Accompanied by numerous sculpted capitals with an appearance reminiscent of ancient castles, inside the Old Cathedral you will be able to marvel at a beautiful Gothic cloister and other architectural features such as the Porta Especiosa.
Santa Cruz Monastery
The monastery of Santa Cruz is a historic centre built around a hill, where you can also find the steep streets of Coimbra. Here you can enjoy a beautiful cloister, which, thanks to its quiet and peaceful surroundings, is ideal for meditation. In addition to the cloister, inside the Monastery of Santa Cruz you can learn about its history from its construction in 1131 to the present day.
Santa Clara Monastery
This monastery stands out from the rest for its large cloister and the Mannerist-style church which houses the silver coffin containing the body of Queen Isabel. With fantastic views of the city, and a long history since its inauguration in 1314, the monastery of Santa Clara is one of the places you must see during your stay in Coimbra.
New Cathedral of Coimbra
The façade of the New Cathedral of Coimbra surprises every traveller who sees it, as it has a perfect combination of the mannerist style in the lower part of the Cathedral, more specifically in its 4 statues of Jesuit saints, and the baroque style in the upper part.
Located in the former “Dos Jesuitas” college and built between 1598 and 1698, the New Cathedral of Coimbra is without a doubt one of the best places to visit during your stay.
See the Convent of Christ Coimbra
The Convent of Christ is an ancient medieval castle renowned for its size and history. Upon entering, you will feel like you are in a medieval film, as its decorations and internal structures are still preserved and are part of a large and elaborate museum.
Besides learning about medieval history, the Convent of Christ will give you the best panoramic view of Coimbra, so what are you waiting for?
National Museum Machado de Castro
If you are a lover of Portuguese art and history, you cannot miss the Manchado de Castro National Museum, considered one of the best in the world for its extensive collections of sculptures, paintings, altarpieces and decorative arts.
In addition to history and art, this museum offers a beautiful view of the chapel. As if this were not enough, you can also appreciate the Roman cryptoportico on which the forum was built, and in later centuries, the ancient Episcopal palace was built.
Portugal dos Pequenitos
This park is considered to be the first theme park in the country. Besides being one of the busiest places in Coimbra, it is a fun and quite educational place, as it is designed to teach children about the history of Portugal through miniature representations and diagrams.
If you are travelling with a child, make sure to take them to one of Portugal’s most famous sites.
Quinta das Lágrimas
With a tragic and romantic backstory, the Quinta das Lágrimas tells of the romance that arose between Pedro of Portugal and Ines de Castro, a romance that caused Pedro’s own father to order the execution of Ines. Upon learning this, Pedro formed a large army to free his beloved and live happily ever after with her.
Nowadays, this park occupies more than 18 hectares where monuments referencing this love story can be seen. It also has a hotel where you can see a plaque that tells the complete history of Quinta das Lágrimas.
Coimbra Botanical Garden
Don’t miss this beautiful garden located near the University of Coimbra, renowned for its size and its diverse collections of plants. Here you can see tropical plants, daffodils, conifers and beautiful rose bushes.
You can also visit the Bamboo Forest with its giant ficus trees, which will make you enjoy the tranquillity that this place has to offer.
Largo da Portagem
This colourful square is known as the centre of Coimbra. It has a beautiful view of the Mondego River and is home to several restaurants, shops and bars. It is a great place to stop for a bite to eat or a drink and to get a souvenir of this beautiful city.
Pedro e Inês Bridge
Opened in 2007, the Pedro e Inês bridge is known for being the first pedestrian bridge in the city. It is a 180-metre long footbridge that allows you to cross the Mondego River while enjoying a panoramic view of Coimbra.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
Around Coimbra
Conimbriga
In the museum of Conimbriga you can see the remains of the Roman city, which several centuries ago was located in what we know today as Coimbra.
Here you can see and learn about the everyday objects used by the Romans that are permanently on display, as well as symbolic objects that reflect their beliefs and, in general, what life was like in those times.
Buçaco National Forest
The Buçaco Forest is a wonderful green area, which is only 40 minutes away from Coimbra. It is made up of around 25.000 thousand trees of different species covering 105 hectares. In addition, along its trails you can visit beautiful places such as fountains, chapels, the palace and the convent. All of these places are worth visiting and are perfect for capturing the best photos of your trip to Coimbra.
Itinerary for your trip to Coimbra
What to see in 1 day in Coimbra?
- University of Coimbra
- Royal Palace of Coimbra
- Joanina Library
- Coimbra Botanical Garden
- Largo da Portagem
What to see in 2 days in Coimbra?
- Old Cathedral
- Santa Cruz Monastery
- Santa Clara Monastery
- Convent of Christ
- Coimbra New Cathedral
- Pedro e Ines Bridge
What to see in 3 days in Coimbra?
- Machado de Castro National Museum
- Quinta das Lagrimas
- Portugal dos Pequenitos Theme Park
- Conimbriga
- Buçaco Forest
How to plan your visit to the best places in Coimbra?
With Passporter app you can plan everything quickly and easily so that you have everything at your fingertips during your trip to Coimbra.
With the app you can:
- Save tickets and reservations.
- Sync one or more routes with Google maps based on where you are.
- Find out the different travel options between destinations.
- Before you travel, you can learn about other travellers’ experiences of the places you want to visit.
- During your trip you will be able to save and publish your experiences of the places you visited.
- Passporter has a Chrome extension which allows you to save different web pages with important information for your trip to Coimbra.
In our post “How to create you travel itinerary with Passporter” you can find more helpful details about the app.
Frequently Asked Questions Trip to Coimbra
In the centre of Portugal, bordering the cities of Aveiro, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco and Leiria. They are nearby, so you can visit all of them.
As it is in the centre of Portugal you can get there by train, bus or by car. For the latter you can go on the A1 motorways. Another option is to go from Fuentes de Oñoro following the IP5 and then continue on the IP3. You can also follow the IP1 from Lisbon, and if you are travelling from Spain you can go on the IC8, entering Portugal from Bardajoz.
You can visit the University of Coimbra any day from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, then in the afternoon from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
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