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COIMBRA
Considered the "Oxford" of Portugal, Coimbra is the alma mater of kings and presidents. Nowhere in Portugal does the heart and mind come together quite like this hallowed University town.
Caped Crusade
The fashion inspiration for the notable coeds of Hogwarts in Harry Potter was in fact the cape-draped students of Coimbra. Founded in 1290, Coimbra is among the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world.
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Fado Ao Centro
It is here, in the town square on a balmy night where one’s heart hits its high note, as “men’s Fado” is performed on the steps of the main cathedral. Different from the women of the Alfama, down in Lisbon with their torch songs of heartbreak, the men in Coimbra sing of comraderie, brotherhood in battle, and the pride of victory.
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Blinded with Science
At the (incredible) Coimbra Science Museum, one encounters grand halls of glass cases featuring vintage scientific instruments along with examples of botanical, zoologic, anthropologic, mineralogical sciences, plus ancient tools of astronomy. In the stairwells linking the collections, centuries-old windows “display” the historic campus itself and the beautifully terraced town below.
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Joanine Library
At the heart of the Coimbra campus, the Joanine Library is one of the most stunning libraries anywhere in the world. Inside, tall walls and gilded ceilings rise like inspiration, almost flying overhead, –coincidental metaphor for the library’s unique archival protection system. Bats are used to protect the timeless content, released in the night from their in-wall cubbies to eat the parchment-hungry insects who might otherwise consume the library’s largess. Not to worry, the library is cleaned of all bat guano each morning before opening.
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