Top Things to do in Coimbra District
Top Hotels in Coimbra District
10 Sights & Landmarks in Coimbra District That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Coimbra District, Portugal including Igreja e Mosteiro da Santa Cruz, University of Coimbra, Old Cathedral of Coimbra (Se Velha de Coimbra), Museu Monografico de Conimbriga, Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha, Penedo da Saudade, Castelo de Montemor o Velho, Praca Oito de Maio, Universidade de Coimbra Alta & Sofia, Capela de Sao Miguel.
Restaurants in Coimbra District
1. Igreja e Mosteiro da Santa Cruz
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 673 reviews
Reviewed By Margo7850p
The Church of Santa Cruz is located in the center of Coimbra, the historic center, in a very charming place. A very nice church. It was erected in the first half of the XII century. Lots to see, lots of history. The heart of the Romanesque church is an unusual altar without a statue, and two amazing tombs of Portugal's first rulers: Alphonsus I the Conqueror and Sancho I. The blue azulejos tiles are a characteristic feature of the church. The interior of the temple is decorated with a huge organ with fantastic Japanese works of art. A monastery is a real gem. A must visit if you are in Coimbra. Next to it is a square with a number of cafes.
2. University of Coimbra
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,454 reviews
The Tourism Circuit of the University of Coimbra unfolds in different centers: - The Palace of Schools where you can visit the Royal Palace that includes the Grand Hall of Acts, the Private Exam Room and the Armillary Room; The Royal Chapel of Saint Michael and the Joanine Library where you can visit the Noble Floor, the Middle Floor and the Academic Prison (with limited access for the preservation of the building). - The Science Museum where you can visit the 18 th and 19 th Century Physics Cabinets, the Natural History Galleries and the Chemistry Laboratory. - The Botanic Garden where you can travel around the world through botanic.
Reviewed By Wortleberry
I think we paid 12.5 Euros to visit a fascinating science museum in the old science faculty, the amazing gilded library, historic lecture theatres and other stunning university buildings. This is the cultural highlight of Coimbra.
3. Old Cathedral of Coimbra (Se Velha de Coimbra)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,092 reviews
Reviewed By Margo7850p
Old Cathedral of Coimbra was built in 1162 and is one of the most characteristic monuments of Romanesque architecture in Portugal. From the outside, it looks like a fortress. The cathedral has been preserved almost intact to this day. On the other hand, the beautiful renaissance gate added to the northern wall of the temple is rather heavily damaged. A gem of architecture. It's definitely worth seeing while in Coimbra.
4. Museu Monografico de Conimbriga
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 558 reviews
Reviewed By GeoSKW - Santa Fe, United States
On our trip, we visited Roman ruins in four countries and this site is both unique and has an interesting history. The site is only 17% excavated according to the knowledgeable gentleman at the ticket desk. We were very impressed by the museum. In comparison with other museums we visited at Roman ruins, this museum stands out for its excellent exhibits and artifacts of daily life... tools, surgical instruments, glass, jewelry, etc. We highly recommend visiting this museum. There is also a very good restaurant at the site.
5. Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 656 reviews
Reviewed By john8tea - Fukuoka, Japan
We stumbled on the ruined Convent of Santa Clara-a-Velha late on our first afternoon in Coimbra, after walking along the Mondego river and visiting the gardens of the Quinta das Lágrimas. This 13th-century convent was strongly associated with Portugal's saintly queen, Santa Isabel, and was an important pilgrimage site during the medieval period and beyond, until it had to be abandoned in 1677 due to the river's constantly rising floodwaters. After painstaking archeological and restoration work, the ruins can now be visited. You first make your way through the small museum/information centre, with many interesting artifacts and a great deal of information (unfortunately, the explanatory notes are only in Portuguese at the moment, but if you persevere you can understand enough to get the gist). There is an absorbing documentary video shown in the auditorium and if you can catch one with English subtitles (ours was at 5.30pm) it is well worth watching, as it sets everything in a richer historical context. Then you make your way out into the ruins of the convent church and cloisters, where the explanatory notices, though few in number, are in both Portuguese and English. It is a quiet, contemplative and evocative sacred space.
6. Penedo da Saudade
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 213 reviews
Reviewed By joaob205
Hard to translate it's name, you will find yourself involved in huge roots and tablets written by old students of the city,shwing their love for her and the will to one day return
7. Castelo de Montemor o Velho
8. Praca Oito de Maio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 309 reviews
Reviewed By Abrandao - San Francisco, United States
Beautiful public square with Santa Cruz church and Café Santa Cruz where you can relax and have a drink and eat a cruzadito (traditional cake) surrounded with beauty.
9. Universidade de Coimbra Alta & Sofia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 545 reviews
Reviewed By vitora197 - Lisbon, Portugal
This is a strategic point to understand Coimbra’s geographical reality. Looking inland one gets the notion that the territory is marked by mountains; looking the coastal side one sees that the plains are predominant in the landscape. The river Mondego is the element bringing those two realities together and also, along the centuries, the fluvial road for the products exchange of those two different regions. All around the square the old interesting university buildings façades. Enjoy!
10. Capela de Sao Miguel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 310 reviews
Reviewed By LuizDutraNeto - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sided by the "Biblioteca Joanina" and by the "Torre da Cabra", in the "Paço das Escolas" of the "Universidade de Coimbra", stands the absolutely beautiful "Capela de São Miguel". The actual chapel, dating from the 16th century, replaces a collapsed chapel from the 12th century. Its construction was commissioned by King Dom Manuel I and characteristics of the Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque styles are present at its portal, windows, central nave, ceilings and arches. Check its main altar, paintings, gilded sculptureworks, tiles, carpets and the famous ancient organ! If you miss it, you will regret forever! Enjoy!
