Where to stay in Coimbra: Best neighbourhoods & hotels
Portugal’s medieval capital and the heart of its academia is often treated as a quick pitstop by visitors en route from Lisbon to Porto. But with so much to see, to truly get a feel for the small university city, I believe you need to stay overnight. Coimbra buzzes with a youthful, student energy and […]
Where to eat in Coimbra
At the heart of Central Portugal lies Coimbra, an ancient city with a young student heart. To eat here is to navigate that same contrast. One moment you could be seated in a medieval alleyway peeling meat off a tray of pig bones, and the next sipping Bairrada sparkling wines on a rooftop overlooking the […]
36 hours in Coimbra
You won’t see the inside of Coimbra’s most stunning building on this blog, or almost anywhere. So concerned is the leadership of Portugal’s oldest — and for hundreds of years only — university with protecting the bibliophilic treasures enshrined on the holiest floor of its ancient library that no photos are allowed. Think of it […]
Tile of the day: Step inside Capela de São Miguel in Coimbra
Having seen many, many tiled chapels it takes quite a lot to blow me away but the Capela de São Miguel in Coimbra is jaw-droppingly beautiful. It’s definitely up there among the most beautiful tiles and breathtaking sights in Portugal. Covered floor-to-ceiling in intricately hand-painted azulejos, ornate wooden balustrades, with a brightly painted ceiling and […]