Coimbra Portugal
66
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Riviera Travel (46 Cruises)
MS Douro Elegance
46 Cruises
Tauck Cruises (20 Cruises)
ms Andorinha
20 Cruises
Frequently Asked Questions
From the banks of the Mondego, streets climb in switchbacks to the summit. Strong walkers go up on foot by stairways and lanes; groups are dropped at the top by coach or shuttle.
The university, São Miguel chapel and the Joanina Library take about two hours at the top. The walk back down through the lanes to the lower town fills the rest of the day.
One of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1290 and a World Heritage site. Its great courtyard opens onto the landscape like a stone balcony, framed by the white facades of the old faculties.
A cathedral of books completed in 1728: three halls where gilt, exotic woods and ceiling frescoes form one of the finest Baroque interiors in Portugal. Some 60,000 volumes from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries sleep on its shelves.
Yes. Visits are in timed groups, with tickets best reserved in advance. Organised excursions usually handle this.
Yes, tiny bats protect the books from insects at night. Look for them under the painted ceilings: they have been part of the conservation system for centuries.
Yes, it is graver and more masculine, sung by students in black capes beneath the windows of the old city. Some restaurants offer performances late in the day.
The pastel de Tentúgal, an egg-cream pastry inherited from the region's convents, with a tight Portuguese espresso. The shops on Rua Ferreira Borges also sell ceramics and convent sweets.
On foot it is demanding: stairways and steep lanes all the way up the hill. Anyone who walks with difficulty should plan on the shuttle or coach, which set down at the top.
The river the Portuguese call the river of poets. Boat trips let you admire the tiered facades and the silhouette of the university from the water, a favourite angle in late afternoon.
