Coimbra
UNESCO World Heritage Site: University Of Coimbra Alta And Sofia (2013); The University Has Been Here Since 1537 And Holds The Joanina Library · Coimbra, Coimbra
Coimbra is Portugal's old university city, stacked on a steep hill above the Mondego river halfway between Lisbon and Porto. It was the country's capital in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and the first two kings are buried in the Santa Cruz monastery; the university, founded in 1290, settled for good in the royal palace on the hilltop in 1537 and is one of the oldest in Europe. The University - Alta and Sofia became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. People come for the Paco das Escolas, the palace courtyard at the top, and above all the Joanina Library, a baroque room of gilded wood and old books said to be guarded at night by bats that eat the insects. They also come for the fortress-like Old Cathedral, the black capes of the students, and Coimbra fado, sung by men and quite unlike Lisbon's. It is smaller and calmer than Lisbon or Porto. The honest caveat: the lanes up to the Alta are very steep, the Joanina's short timed slots sell out in summer, and in May the Queima das Fitas student festival turns the city loud and crowded.
Coimbra old town from the Largo da Portagem on the Mondego up through the Alta to the University's Paco das Escolas, Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
The old town and the riverfront are open all year. The University's visitor route opens daily, roughly from morning to early evening, with a shorter winter day; the Joanina Library is seen only in timed slots on that ticket. Many museums, including the Machado de Castro, close on Mondays - confirm each. Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains from Lisbon (about 2 hours) and Porto (about 1 hour) stop at Coimbra-B, roughly 2 km from the centre - confirm the onward link. Book the Joanina slot ahead in summer.