First impressions of Coimbra

We left our apartment to explore the city and get an initial feel for our immediate area. First thing we learnt was that if a car comes down the very narrow streets, and they do, you need to hug the wall or step into a void, as you just need to get out of the way! We headed down our street and found ourselves at the river. Coimbra is a fairly hilly city, with lots of steep streets and walkways and stairs.

We wandered down the main pedestrian mall to check out the shops and just take it all in. We encountered some uni students, who are very recognisable in their black suits and robes - very Harry Potter like. During our wanderings we noticed a lovely little restaurant around the corner from our apartment, so we decided to head there for an early dinner later in the evening. Before heading back to the apartment, we stopped for a glass of rosé in little cafe on the stairs leading up to our street, and just take in the relaxed atmosphere. We have noticed that Fado is very popular here in Coimbra as it was in Lisbon, and there are a lot of Fado bars in our area.Read more