Courtyard in Coimbra
The University of Coimbra is one of the oldest universities in the world (founded 1290), set on a hilltop above the Mondego River. The courtyard and exterior grounds are free. The Joanine Library (a Baroque masterpiece of gilded wood and painted ceilings) is paid and requires advance booking. Budget travelers walk the hilltop campus for free, admire the views over the city, and decide whether the library ticket fits the day’s budget.
Practical
Nearby
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Coimbra's Old Town (Alta) climbs the hillside from the river to the university, with narrow medieval streets, fado bars (Coimbra fado is different from Lisbon fado, more academic and melancholic), and the Se Velha (Old Cathedral, free to enter the nave). Free to walk.
Working out what Coimbra costs?
The whole of Coimbra