Not our name, but our passion
In the center of the old town in Coimbra in a can’t miss it pink building is the tourist office. The office has maps of the city and can give you information on the various sites. To be honest I found the hotel concierge to be much more helpful.
Founded in 1942 in Murtosa, the COMUR factory is one of the biggest companies of the national canning industry.
Initially dedicated to the export of eels, the production then evolved towards the most varied types of canned fish.
Alex ordered some of the canned sardines at the hotel restaurant in the AC Porto by Marriott.
I did not try them but Alex absolutely loved them.
The Mondego River is the center of recreational activity for the City of Coimbra in Portugal. Very close to the old town this section of the river is surrounded by parks and green spaces. The old town gives plenty of options for lunch or snacks. Two bridges one pedestrian and one the major access point over the river into the city provide a nice circle route. Our hotel was conveniently located in the old town so we made our way to the area stopping for lunch at the Restaurant Italia before heading out on our little jaunt. Click on each highlighted link to explore more in-depth each component of the walk.
We headed out through the Parque da Cidade Manuel Braga with its landscaped paths, statues and topiary.
Within the park is the Water Museum.
The end of the park brings you to the Pedro e Inês pedestrian bridge where we crossed the river.
The other side of the river brings you to Choupalinho Park where you can partake in any number of recreational activities.
Off to your left are the ruins of the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha.
The Santa Clara Bridge brings you back across the river.
Before coming full circle take note of the Hotel Astoria,
a drive thru COVID testing station,
and the old city skyline.
The statue standing in the main university square of Coimbra University, King João III turns his back to the sweeping city views behind him and faces his great center of learning. It was he who re-established the university in Coimbra in 1537 and invited well known scholars to teach here in what had previously been a royal palace.
The University of Coimbra is a Portuguese public university in Coimbra, Portugal. Established in 1290 in Lisbon, it went through a number of relocations until it was moved permanently to its current city in 1537, being one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, the oldest university of Portugal, and one of the country’s largest museums of higher education and research institutions. The university is organized into eight different faculties according to a wide range of fields, granting academic bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in nearly all major fields of knowledge, such as arts, engineering, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, medicine, sports and technologies. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Directly across from the Museum Nacional de Machado de Castro are the steps leading up to the University.
View from up the street.
We walked past many interesting old buildings not sure what they all were maybe various departments of the campus.
We next purchased tickets to tour the Biblioteca Joanina. On our way to the library we passed several more buildings. Click on the highlighted links for in-depth posts on each component of the university.
We finally reached the library after a long walk. The route to the library begins in the basement. We watched a video about the University Academic Prison, fascinating.
We next entered the library the outer portion of which allowed photography.
The inner library does not allow photography but the attendant was sleeping so I managed to snap a few.
Outside the library, the main library door.
View of the city from the terrace outside the library.
The square had a statue to Dom João III.
The Chapel of St. Michael is in the Manueline or Portuguese late Gothic style.
Ceiling,
altar left side,
altar middle,
altar right side.
As we exited we passed a cafeteria area for students only.
Leaving the chapel we passed the law school entrance,
and other buildings and statues.
The medical school.
The statue of Dom Dinis.
That completed our tour, well deserving of UNESCO World Heritage status.
