About the city

Coimbra, known as the city of students, is located in the centre of Portugal, about 2 hours from Lisbon and 1 hour from Porto. The city has a good transport facility which provides easy access to airports and beaches, for instance Figueira da Foz and Aveiro.

The city has a lot to offer, including several important archaeological remains, fado sung by  students, stories about forbidden love affairs and a very exciting nightlife. The daily life is marked by students, coming and going back from their lectures, stopping on the way to chat with friends, gossiping and discussing University issues in some of the Praça da República.

Coimbra is divided into two main areas:

• Alta (upper town): is the older part which consists of steep narrow cobbled streets, where the Repúblicas (typical communal student hostels) are to be found, as well as some of city´s most important monuments.

• Baixa (lower town): where most of the city’s commercial activity is concentrated. By the Mondego River, the Monastery of Santa Cruz and several medieval churches can easily be found.