Perched on the banks of the Mondega River in central Portugal, the pretty city of Coimbra packs a punch when it comes to history and architecture. Buttery sandstone churches and whitewashed houses stud its medieval Old Town, while the UNESCO-listed campus of the 13th-century University of Coimbra stands proud as the oldest university in Portugal. Some of the best things to do in Coimbra include exploring the university’s gloriously baroque Biblioteca Joanina library and seeing the best of Portugal in miniature at the cute and compact Portugal dos Pequenitos.
Coimbra enjoys mild winters, warm summers, and plenty of sunshine, which makes it a year-round destination. It sees far fewer crowds than Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve region, so you won’t feel too jammed even when visiting in July and August, which coincide with the European school holidays. However, the best month to visit is May to experience the Burning of the Ribbons festival, when graduates set their gowns and ribbons alight and sing fado music in the streets.
Thanks to its small size, Coimbra is a very walkable city—however, steep streets mean you’ll likely break a sweat, especially in sunny summer when you might prefer to get around by taxi or on a sightseeing tour with transport. Coimbra is home to a train station from which trains depart for Lisbon and Porto—the line stops at plenty of other notable towns such as Aveiro and even whisks you all the way down to Faro in the Algarve region.
Hailed as one of Europe’s top Roman archaeological sites, the Conimbriga Roman Ruins are a must for history buffs. Dating back to the first century, the ruins were once home to a Roman nobleman and boast the accolade of one of the biggest Roman empire houses ever to be discovered. Conimbriga is around 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the center of Coimbra.
