José Goncalves | BY-SA
Portugal dos Pequenitos can translate as "Portugal of the Little Ones" or "Portugal for the Little Ones". Either one would be appropriate for this Portugal in miniature which will particularly appeal to younger visitors. Founded by Professor Bissaya Barreto, a local doctor and lecturer at the medical school, his goal for the park was to be "a living portrait of what it is to be Portuguese and the Portuguese presence throughout the world". The result is both entertaining and educational with a range of scaled-down versions of Portugal's finest national...
Rei-artur | BY-SA
The Monastery or Church of Santa Cruz in Coimbra is rich in both architecture and history. Founded in 1131 by the canons of St Augustine the current building dates back to the 16th century and is a rich example of early Manueline styling.
Originally the monastery would have been a fairly simple Romanesque structure, although the order accumulated considerable wealth and influence. Such was its importance in the early days of Portugal that the first two kings, Afonso Henrique (1109-1185) and his successor Sancho I (1154-1211) were...
The Roman settlement of Conímbriga was one of the largest in Portugal and is today the best preserved and most impressive. The ruins of this ancient town are situated in the countryside around 16 km (10 miles) south of Coimbra, in central Portugal.
Conímbriga as a settlement dates back to before the arrival of the Romans in Portugal. Originally it was occupied by the Celts (briga meaning defended area in Celtic) but what you see today is the work of the Romans who arrived here in the 2nd century BC, during the reign of Emperor Augustus.
Well...
The exquisitely ornate Baroque Joanina Library is part of the University of Coimbra - the oldest and most reputable in Portugal. It contains some 250 thousand volumes some of which are first editions of Portugal's literary masterpieces.
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Founded in 1772 by the Marquis of Pombal, the botanical gardens are located in the heart of Coimbra. The 13ha gardens contain plant species from around the world, laid out both logically and aesthetically
IPPA/António Sacchetti
Exquisitely ornate Baroque library of the University of Coimbra. Around 250 thousand volumes are contained within this priceless icon of Portuguese culture.
The Manueline styled tomb of King Sancho I in the (equally ornate) Igreja Santa Cruz, Coimbra
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Section of the 16th century aqueduct in Coimbra which runs past Praca Joao Paul II
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The grand, Baroque styled Seminário Maior in Coimbra was built in the mid 18th century. It is located next to the botanical gardens in Coimbra