Highlights of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Coimbra is the fourth-largest city in Portugal, and its former capital for a bit over a century quite a few centuries ago. As any city over a thousand years old, it is not without charms, but on balance it falls short of making an exceptional impression. It is nice, but no more than that.

It does, however, have a claim to fame that puts a visit here high on the agenda for a traveling itinerary in Portugal. Coimbra University, founded in 1290, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the Portuguese-speaking world. It is recognized as a World Heritage site for being an example of an integrated university city. The hilltop part of the university - called Alta - as well as the historic center of town have a number of points of interest worth seeing.

Among the buildings on the plaza are the Royal Palace, the main university chapel of Saõ Miguel, and the university library.

Porta Férrea, the Iron Gate, is a 17th century embellishment of the complex, and the main entrance to the university core.

The monument in the middle of the square is to João III, the 16th century king who greatly expanded the Portuguese possessions abroad as well as made Coimbra into a leading center of learning by establishing a college of liberal arts and bringing to it many of the Portuguese scholars of the time. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).