Coimbra
Just an hour and 45mins drive (on non -toll roads) from Casa Rosden, Coimbra which was Portugal’s Capital from 1143 to 1255, is a romantic beautiful city with ancient historical buidings that cling to the hillside above the Mondego River.
Intercity trains from Entroncamento also reach Coimbra in just over an hour.
Coimbra’s crowning glory has to be the World Famous University, which was founded in 1290. It is reputed to be the 2nd oldest in the world and today over 70 different Nationalties come to Coimbra to study.
Click on the picture above for information on Coimbra University ( English Version )
Typical of any University City, there is the inevitable raucous nightlife with numerous international style clubs and bars. Many of Coimbra’s annual festivals revolve around the University and it’s students and every year in May, when the Academic year ends, the students ceremonially burn their colourful faculty ‘ribbons’ in a festival called ‘Queima das Filas’. During this event the students sing a ‘happier’ version of the traditional songs called ‘Fados da Coimbra’.
In the City, there are many medieval churches worth visiting in the old part of the city. Through the ‘Arco de Almedina’ there are two Cathedrals known as the Se Velha (the old), built in 1170 and Se Nova ( the new) built in the 17th Century.
The 14th century Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha in Coimbra has won the ‘Europa Nostra 2010′ Prize for the best heritage preservation project out of 16 projects. The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha reopened its doors, only a year ago after a restoration period that lasted 14 years! Since its reopening, the Monastery has already received 50,000 visitors.
Coimbra also boasts the largest Botanical Gardens in the whole of Portugal and one of the most beautiful in Europe it covers 20 hectares!
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