Photogallery of Coimbra, Portugal

The enchanting city of Coimbra is the former capital of Portugal. Nowadays, this is an interesting university city that has retained its medieval look. This is the cradle of culture in the country. Besides that, this is the birthplace of philosophy in Portugal. Coimbra is home to the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest universities in the world. When taking a stroll on the beautiful streets of the city, you will feel like you have just made a time travel and have returned to the medieval period. Every building here has an interesting story to tell. Every seventh resident of Coimbra is a student, and this is the reason why Coimbra is often referred to as “the city of students”. In the past, there was a settlement called Conímbriga not far from modern Coimbra. That settlement gave the name to the Portuguese city. When Sueves and Visigoths invaded the region, local people had nothing to do but to abandon their houses and move to Eminium Hill situated near the bank of the Mondego River. This is where Coimbra was initially located. The settlers kept the name of their homeland and used a short form of the name, changing it to Coimbra. The Moors conquered the new city in the 8th century. Christians managed to return the region only in the 60s of the 11th century thanks to the help of Ferdinand the Great. In 1139, King Afonso Henriques ordered to make Coimbra the capital of Portugal. The city retained this status until 1256. During the Renaissance period, … Read further