We wanted to visit Coimbra for no other reason than to visit the famous University. Coimbra university was established in Lisbon in 1290, it was relocated in 1537 to Coimbra. It is the oldest academic institution in Portugal and the oldest university in continuous operation in the world.

The university gained UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2013.


The old town is also very nice to wander around and we stopped for a drink in the café that is attached to the Monastery of Santa Cruz.

We have seen the tinned fish shops in a few of the cities we have visited in Portugal. They have an extensive selection of tinned fish which range in price from 5 euros a tin to 15 euros per tin. Colin loves tinned fish so couldn’t resist buying some.


The City is divided by the Modego River and linked by three bridges.

The historic city has numerous restaurants, cafes, beautiful architecture and some very interesting street art.

