Coimbra
Coimbra is an historical city of Portugal on the Mondego River, about 50 km East of Figueira da Foz, in the Atlantic Ocean coast.
With a population of more than 150,000 Coimbra is the third city of Portugal and the capital city of the central part of the country. With a dense urban grid the city of Coimbra is also famous for its numerous parks and gardens. The fame of the town rests in its university with more than 30,000 students, but also in shopping, tecnologic industry and medical services. The university founded in 1290 is one of the oldest in Europe, attracting students from around the world which gives the city a special and rare atmosphere.
It has a large archeological site with extensive ruins dating from the time it was a Roman town called Aeminium. The cathedral of SÃÂé Velha, built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, is still in operation, and it is worth to visit the university, the new cathedral, the Monastery on Santa Cruz. The city has enough for a stay of 3 or 4 days.
Coimbra is also known for the reduced child-scale buildings it has erected within one of its city parks. These building are scale copies of its own typical pieces of architecture.