Oporto Excursions
Coimbra University
Coimbra
The central Beiras region of Portugal is dominated by its
provincial capital, Coimbra, situated about 73 miles (118km) south
of Oporto. Coimbra is one of Europe's oldest university towns, and
its students swarm the streets in traditional black capes, with
coloured ribbons affixed to indicate which faculty they belong to.
The majestic university building, founded in the 12th century,
overlooks the city, which is a medieval wonderland of cobbled
alleys, archways and stairways. Coimbra was the birthplace of six
of Portugal's kings and the country's first king, Afonso Henriques,
lies in a carved Gothic sarcophagus in the Monastery of Santa Cruz.
Other sights in and around Coimbra include several beautiful
medieval churches, the Machado de Castro museum (one of Portugal's
finest), and Conimbriga, southwest of the city, which is a
fascinating Roman archaeological site.
