Things to Do in Coimbra beyond the University, Coimbra, Portugal

I spent a couple of months living in Coimbra and created this guide to help you find more things to do when you visit this charming city.

Beneath Coimbra’s most famous museum, the Machado de Castro Museum, lies the cryptoporticus of Aeminium.

These are actual Roman passageways that supported the forum of what was then called Aeminium, Coimbra’s Roman name.

You can visit these vaulted corridors as part of your visit to the museum, that also has a wonderful art collection.

Café Santa Cruz is housed in a beautiful old building, which was once a chapel attached to the Santa Cruz monastery.

The building dates from the 16th century, and they’ve kept the high ceilings, stained-glass windows, and wood panelling.

I enjoyed a fado concert there with a drink under those impressive high ceilings. It’s super central, so you can stop there at any time during the day or evening for a quick break.

Santa Clara-a-Velha is a 14th-century monastery that had to be abandoned in the 17th century because of its proximity to the Mondego River.

These days, you can visit its ruins. The restoration work that’s been done is remarkable and you’ll essentially be walking through a preserved archaeological site with Gothic arches and stone columns. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).