What to see in Coimbra

Coimbra highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

1. University of Coimbra

   A World Heritage Site, with its tower and the Paço das Escolas.

2. Joanina Library

   A Baroque library of gilded wood, where a colony of bats protects the books from insects.

3. Sé Velha

   The Romanesque cathedral, looking like a fortress.

4. Monastery of Santa Cruz

   Where Portugal’s first kings are buried.

5. Portugal dos Pequenitos

   A park with Portuguese monuments in miniature, great with children.

6. Quinta das Lágrimas

   Gardens linked to the love story of Pedro and Inês de Castro.

Day trips from Coimbra

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

• From Porto ★ 4.7 (875 reviews)
• Coimbra and Fátima ★ 4.7 (875 reviews)

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Traditions of Coimbra

• May Queima das Fitas

  The big end-of-year festival: black capes, parades and fado serenades.

Typical food of Coimbra

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Coimbra from your kitchen).

Leitão à Bairrada

Roast suckling pig with a paste of pepper, garlic and lard, from Bairrada, the area next to Coimbra. The skin turns as crisp as glass and it’s served with chips, orange and the local sparkling wine.

• Serves 4
• 3 h

Ingredients

• 1/2 suckling pig (about 2.5 kg), butterflied
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 100 g lard
• 2 bay leaves
• Parsley
• Coarse salt
• 100 ml white wine

How to make it at home

1. Pound the garlic in a mortar with the coarse salt, pepper, bay leaves and parsley, and mix it with the lard into a paste.
2. Rub the pig on the inside (the meat side) with the paste.
3. Place it skin-side up on a tray, with the wine in the bottom, and roast at 180 °C for 1½ hours.
4. Turn up to 220 °C and roast for 45 more minutes, until the skin is golden and crackling.
5. Make a sauce with the juices from the tray and serve with chips and orange slices.

The trick: Prick the skin with a skewer halfway through roasting so it doesn’t blister.

Frequently asked questions about Coimbra