Coimbra, university city

To tell you about Coimbra I would need something more than a post. 9 months living in this Portuguese corner goes a long way and it is difficult to summarize in approximately 1000 words all those months of adaptation, discovery and attachment to a new city, but I am going to try. Without further ado we are going on a trip to one of the most charming cities in Portugal. Welcome to Coimbra!

Located in the central area of Portugal, Coimbra is the city with the most university tradition in the Portuguese country. His university, built in 1290, is World Heritage and a mandatory stop on your trip. In addition to the faculties, impressive inside and out, You cannot miss visiting the Joanina Library, the Clock Tower and the “square” where the law school is located.

Faculty of Law and Clock Tower

Another of the emblematic places of the city is the Republic Square. In addition to a walk with benches, fountains and greenery you will find bars, restaurants and pubs where you can refresh yourself or eat something typical of the country. Next to it is the Jardím da Sereia or Santa Cruz Park, a space with green areas where you can see, among other things, the typical Portuguese blue tiles.

Walking a little further you will find the São Sebastião Aqueduto, also called Arcos do Jardim, an ancient aqueduct that opens the way to the Botanical Garden, with a herbarium with more than 1 million species and a library with more than 125,000 copies.

Botanical Garden

Very close by is the Penedo de Saudade, a park with a viewpoint that is characterized as a retreat space for poets and students who wrote texts such as love poems or dedications on stones. The two courses room and the two poets room are worth visiting if you go to this very traditional place.

And for the most football fans, walking a few more meters you will see the Efapel Cidade de Coimbra, the football stadium of Acadómica, the city's team. Next door there is a shopping center if you want to have lunch or dinner or buy something last minute.

I could recommend countless things to eat, since Portuguese cuisine is exquisite, but if you don't have much time, the essential thing is that you try the Little Frenchie (a sandwich filled with sausage, meat, cooked ham, chipolata, mortadella and a beef or pork fillet) covered in cheese, bathed in a wine and beer sauce and accompanied by some fries) a calorie bomb that is typical of Porto and that is delicious. The best ones are made in the cafeteria Athens, very close to the Plaza de la República and where you can also order half a francesinha since from experience it is difficult to finish it.

Little Frenchie

Another of my recommendations is the cod with cream. In Portugal they have very good fish and this recipe is one of my favorites. Cod served with bechamel, potato and onion in a clay tray, it is a spectacular recipe. In it Rio Mondego restaurant, located in Praça do Comerço, they will serve you in quantity and at a very good price.

All this must be accompanied by Sagres or SuperBock, the typical beers of Portugal and For dessert, a good delta coffee with some of the sweets that you will find in abundance in Coimbra. Pastels de nata (or Belem), Temtugal…you will have no problem finding one that you like. A Brasileira or the Café Teatro Gil Vicente They are, for me, the best places to sweeten your moment. Even so, if you are caught out of hand, in one of the cafes in the Praça 8 de Maio or Praça do Comerço You can also enjoy a good coffee.

Coffee and Tentugal

You cannot leave Coimbra without passing through these two squares or through the main street, Rua Ferreira Borges. In it you will findshops, establishments to compare souvenirs, bars and restaurants to eat, as well as ice cream parlors or tobacconists. It is the main artery of the city and a street with a lot of life and atmosphere, and Going down it you will reach the Mondego, the most important river in Coimbra.

Coimbra is a city crossed by one of the largest rivers in Portugal, the Mondego River. The area of this river is one of my favorites to spend the afternoon on its extensive grass or stroll along one of its bridges.

Furthermore, on one side of the river you can sit on one of the terraces that extend along its “maritime promenade” to enjoy a cold beer while contemplating a sunset that is well worth it.

Portugal two little ones

Three key points of the city are located close to the river. He Mosteiro de Santa Clara, built in 1283, Portugal two little ones, a kind of Mini Europe and Europa Park in which to contemplate buildings, houses and other typical constructions of Portugal and the Quinta das Lágrimas, gardens that revolve around the legend of Inés and Pedro and that you cannot miss due to the beauty and charm that is breathed there.

Monastery of Santa Clara

And to go out the best is start with some beers in the Sé Velha area. At the Cabido bar you can try two of the Conimbrico specialties, lto sangria with Absinthe for 1.50 and the Ovo Estrelado, a shot only suitable for resistant stomachs. Afterwards it is mandatory Finish off the night at one of the city's nightclubs. Twiit or NB They are my favorites for the varied music suitable for all tastes.

ESSENTIALS

Parade Festa das Latas

Coimbra is a city with a great student tradition. That's why you can't miss their two big parties that They commemorate for several days two of the most important moments in the students' university life from the University of Coimbra.

FESTA DAS LATAS (October)

The Festa das Latas takes place in October and was born with objective of welcoming the caloiros (newbies) to the university. For a week veterans organize activities to integrate caloiros into academic life. The newbies They dress in the colors of their faculty and down the street they are parading until the peak moment arrives, baptism in the Mondego River with a chamber pot by the godparents (veterans of the race). In addition to daytime activities at night at the fairgrounds there is different tents with music and food and drink stalls to celebrate one of the highlights of student life.

QUEIMA DAS FITAS (May)

The Queima das Fitas is lThe most important student festival in Coimbra as well as the oldest. During 8 days students take to the streets to celebrate with veterans the end of university studies. The final year students They burn the “fitas” (colored ribbons) to symbolize the end of the race. In this student celebration you cannot miss the Monumental Serenade, he Courtship and the party that takes place every night at the fairgrounds .

If your next trip is to Portugal, don't forget to include Coimbra in your itinerary. You will love its charm, magic and tradition and you will want to return more than once.