Coimbra, the "Oxford of Portugal", best known for the country's oldest and most prestigious university, founded in 1290. It was Portugal's leading city between the 8th and 12th century, and the capital between the 12th and 13th centuries. Today, with a population of 143,000, it is a very enjoyable mini-Lisbon.
We only stayed in Coimbra one night, just enough to get a taste of the town, and to make us want to come back. After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we headed right for a cafe nearby to taste the local pastries.
The only rainy day during our trip was in Coimbra, but it did not deter us from enjoying this wonderful city. A stroll through the local market was a must.
The University's Medical School
The University's School of Literature
Grand Hall of the Old University
The Chapel of the Old University
King John's Library (Biblioteca Joanina-no photos allowed inside) contains a treasure of 55,000 books in Latin, Greek and Hebrew all dated from before 1755.
The Grand Hall and Clock Tower
The Clock Tower from our hotel, day and night
No comments:
Post a Comment