15 Best Sights in Coimbra and Central Portugal, Portugal

This is Portugal's National Pantheon, the final resting place of the country's first two kings, Dom Afonso Henriques and his son Dom Sancho I. The lower portions of the interior walls are lined with azulejos (tiles) depicting various religious motifs. Look a little closer and you'll notice flaws in the design---that's because the tiles were installed in the 18th century, as a quick fix after flooding damaged the 12th-century frescos that were there originally. The 16th-century baroque organ is a sight to behold. From the sacristy, a door opens to the Casa do Capitulo (Silent Cloister); this double-tier Manueline cloister contains scenes from the Passion of Christ, attributed to Chanterene.

The evocative ruin of Coimbra's 14th-century monastery has undergone extensive restoration to reverse centuries of flood damage. For more than 300 years, the ground floor was completely immersed in water, silt, and mud due to its proximity to the Mondego River. Today, you can safely explore the ruin, observing eerie water stains along the walls. Outside are the excavations of the nuns' private quarters, their refectory, and cloisters, some still with their original tiles visible. There's also a kitchen garden and a contemporary museum displaying relics found during the restoration project.

One of the city's most illustrious museums, the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro sits on the site of a vast Roman cryptoporticus (a maze of underground storage vaults). The building above, constructed in the 12th century to house the local bishops, was extensively modified over the centuries and finally converted into a museum in 1912. The Bishop's Chapel, adorned with 18th-century tiles and silks, remains a highlight. The museum is notoriously difficult to navigate, although there are plenty of staffers on hand to point you in the right direction. As you exit the museum, note the large 18th-century azulejo panel depicting Jerónimo translating the Bible.

Coimbra's best loved family attraction, Portugal dos Pequenitos is made up of scale models of houses, castles, and monasteries that children of all ages can play in. The buildings replicate Portugal's most important buildings and monuments, all built to the scale of a five-year-old. There are also sections devoted to scaled-down versions of typical buildings in the former Portuguese colonies.

Less than 15 minutes' scenic drive from the bustle of Coimbra, this gorgeous river beach attracts sunbathers and swimmers in the June through September summer season. Crystal clear waters sit against a backdrop of deep green hills, and a bar on the sands provides ample opportunity to relax with a drink after a swim. There are lifeguards, plenty of parking, and barbecue facilities for those who fancy grilling a fresh-caught fish. It's a Blue Flag beach, meaning it meets the highest environmental and safety standards. Amenities: lifeguards; food and drink; parking. Best for: swimming. 

Engaged in an ongoing struggle with the Moors, the Portuguese often incorporated fortifications into their churches---which is why the 12th-century Sé Velha looks more like a fortress than a house of worship. It's made of massive granite blocks and crowned by a ring of battlements, and the harsh exterior is softened somewhat by its graceful 16th-century Renaissance doorway. The somber interior has a gilded wooden altarpiece: a late-15th-century example of the Flamboyant Gothic style, created by the Flemish masters Olivier of Ghent and Jean d'Ypres.

Described as the "jewel of the city," this 250-year-old seminary houses one of Portugal's most impressive collections of 18th-century Italian art, a church, and a library with over 9,000 books. There's a museum dedicated to the works of priest and artist Nunes Pereira, housed in the workshop where he crafted some of his finest pieces. Book at least 24 hours in advance if you want to visit. In the upper reaches of Coimbra, near the botanical gardens, the seminary offers breathtaking views of the city. Guided tours are offered in English, but be sure to book at least one day in advance via the website. 

Portugal's oldest university—one of the most august academic institutions in Europe—was founded in Lisbon in 1290. It dominates the city both physically (taking up most of the center of the old town) and in terms of numbers (with well over 25,000 students). Built in 1634 as a triumphal arch, the Porta Férrea marks the entrance to the main courtyard and is adorned with statues of Kings Dinis and João III. Walk to the far end of the courtyard for breathtaking panoramic views of the Mondego River. The 18th-century clock-and-bell tower, rising above the courtyard, is one of Coimbra's most famous landmarks. The bell, which summons students to class and in centuries past signaled a dusk-to-dawn curfew, is derisively called the cabra (she-goat; an insulting term used to express the students' dismay at being confined to quarters).

In the courtyard's southwestern corner is a building with four huge columns framing massive wooden doors. Behind them is one of the world's most beautiful libraries, the baroque Biblioteca Joanina. Constructed in the early 18th century, it has three dazzling book-lined halls and stunning trompe-l'oeil decorative features. Knock to gain entrance to the nearby Capela de São Miguel, where you'll discover the chapel's glorious tiled interior, baroque organ, and rococo side altars in hues of gold and duck-egg blue. There are a set number of daily tickets for the Biblioteca Joanina, so collect your combined ticket early to avoid missing the jewel in the university's crown.

On the Baixa district's Rua Ferreira Borges—one of the city's principal shopping streets—the very modest Arco de Almedina opens onto a courtyard. The 12th-century arch is one of the last vestiges of the medieval city walls, and above it are a Renaissance carving of the Virgin and Child and an early Portuguese coat of arms. The sino de correr (warning bell) was used from the Middle Ages until 1870 to signal the populace to run to the safety of the city walls.

From the Old Town, the botanical garden sweeps down the side of the hill to the Mondego River. Designed by British architect William Elsden and two natural history teachers, Domingos Vandelli and Dalla Bella, it was created during the reform of the university in 1772 by the Marquis of Pombal. It's still a place of serious scientific study, with more than 1,200 species of plants covering 50 acres. There is also a foliage-filled greenhouse and a small botanical museum. The walk uphill along the marked trail takes takes around 45 minutes, or half that if you're headed down.

A small park with an odd assortment of domed, rose-color turrets grouped around a fountain, this garden was designed by Jean de Rouen in the 16th century and once belonged to the cloisters of the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz. The fountain symbolizes the fountain of life, and the eight pools radiating from it represent the rivers of paradise. The welcoming restaurant of Jardim da Manga, overlooking the gardens, is a pleasant place for lunch after a visit here.

This bustling triangular plaza lined with cafés and restaurants sits at the foot of the Ponte Santa Clara over the Mondego River. The statue is of Joaquim António de Aguiar, and the pen in his hand represents the 1833 signing of a decree banning religious orders throughout Portugal.

Repeated flooding of the nearby Mondego River forced the nuns of Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha to flee to higher ground. Built in the 17th century, the church honors Queen Isabel of Aragon. Her remains are held on the altar in a silver-and-glass sarcophagus that was originally intended to be displayed beneath an ornate arch at the old monastery. The cloisters are by far the most beautiful in Coimbra; arrive early on a weekday and chances are you'll wander the echoing archways and gardens with just the gardeners for company. During the Peninsular War, the French General Massena used the convent as a hospital for hundreds of troops wounded during the battle of Buçaco. The church's carefully hidden treasures escaped the desecration inflicted on so many Portuguese monuments during this period.

Formerly the Universidade de Coimbra's chemical laboratory, this 18th-century neoclassical building now houses a museum displaying some 250,000 curious and intricate scientific instruments as well as rooms filled with interactive displays and interesting experiments. This is the most important science collection in Portugal, and one of the most important in Europe, covering biology, chemistry, and physics. 

This 17th-century cathedral was patterned after the baroque church of Il Gesù in Rome, as were many such churches of the day. It took a century to build and shows two distinct styles as fashion changed from classical cleanliness to the florid baroque. Three enormous and elaborate gilded altarpieces are the highlight of the interior, flanked by 17th-century choir stalls moved here from Sé Velha (Old Cathedral). There's a pair of organs, both from the 18th century. A small and slightly bizarre ecclesiastical museum displays religious figurines in glass boxes.