Where to go in Coimbra?
After Casa da Lima, the stretch to Coimbra starts. It is the big city here, so we like to go there to eat in nice restaurants, eat Italian ice cream or waffles and bubble tea. Coimbra is also the place where we go when we need ingredients that you can’t buy in the small supermarkets around Ansiao or Condeixa. The large XL hypermarkets in Forum, Coimbra Shopping or Alma Shopping have more products from other countries. In these large shopping malls, you can find all that you need. Behind the Forum also the Decathlon is located, where you can buy all your sports gear, and on the top floor, there is a food court with all different stalls where you can have lunch.
25 April is a big day here in Portugal. There is flower art on the floor and it stays like this for a ouple of days!
Eat Good Food!
There are some really nice restaurants downtown. The first one I need to mention als one of the first when entering the city after the crossing the river has Bacalhau!. The typical Portuguese food: Solar do Bacalhau. They have typical Portuguese dishes. You can eat bacalhau-cake as a starter, have many choices of different bacalhau recipes, and as dessert you can choose the typical Pastel de Tentugal (on the photo, you can buy it in all the bakeries in the main street in Coimbra). I ate sea bass. It is a huge restaurant where you can come with a whole group.
Half way the main street, going up to the university. There is Cosi where they have great Italian ice cream and there I like the restaurant Fangas Maior, and next to it Fangas Vegetarian, where you can get petiscos, kind of tapas, small bites.
Asian Food
We are fan of Asian food. Because it is so hard to get here, we regularly go to Korean place at Praca de Commercio. At Seoul Chicken on the opposite side you have very nice fried chicken and Kimbab with tofu, also to take home. But we sit at across this fast food place and eat at Gangnam where we eat noodles, rice or Korean BBQ and the Kimbap, this is a Korean Sushiroll.
Near Santa Cruz and Municipality
In the centre near the Santa Cruz church and municipality, restaurant Seven has unique dishes with authentic Portuguese tastes. And if you like to have nice choice of wine with beautiful plates, cross the square 8 de maio and in the small alleys you find No Tacho. I treated myself to a nice dish.
Near the Fire brigade and the busstation, on that side of Coimbra, we like to go to Yuma, that is a Asian-Japanse restaurant where you can order your food on a tablet. They have creative sushi’s and other Asian delicacies. Near this place, where you go into the smaller alleys restaurant Dux Taberna Urbana has special dishes and it is a nice environment.
Before Crossing the Mondego River to Town
If you didn’t cross the Mondego River to the centre, there are around 5 restaurants alongside the road. At the other side of Portugal Pequenitos and Santa Clara old nunnery is Portuguese restaurant Alfredo with meat and fish dishes. This is the favorite one of my parents. Next to Portugal Pequenitos, you can take your kebab and falafel home. We like to do this. You can also eat there but it is more a canteen, with a television, not a nice cosy restaurant.
Sightseeing
University Library
Coimbra is a historical place. The University Library is a Unesco place and worth a visit. If you have more time, and you like history you can visit the huge museum Machado de Castro near the university located on top of the Roman Ruins. In the basement you’ll see art in the ruins, which was really nice and on higher levels there is religious art to see, it was really too much to visit 3 other levels for us). It was interesting that you see the different layers during the time. A church was built on the Roman Ruins, and now a modern building is built around it.
Botanical Garden
If you like nature you have to visit the Botanical Garden. It goes from the top f the city all the way to the river Mondego, where it looks like you walk in Asia. Starting with green house and giant jungle trees at the top, a smell-and-feel garden in the middle, and the Bamboo forest brings you down to the entrance downhill. Via the Mondego river you can walk via the park back to the centre of Coimbra.
Next to these famous places there are lots of hidden places where you have a nice view, small museums. Walking up and down you don’t have to workout anymore!
Coimbra is a students city. You will meet students in their black outfit. On two photo’s below we are in the Fado museum. The last photo is in what used to be the Santa Cruz church, now it is next to the municipal building, which is next to the current Santa Cruz church in the centre. It is a space for everyone, there no entrance fee. Also the inquisition building (exibition of the story of the jews in Coimbra in hirstory) nearby is free to enter.
