Erasmus Experience in Coimbra, Portugal by Anna

Why did you choose to go to Coimbra, Portugal?

I was dreaming about going to a nice and warm country, and I heard a lot of recommendations from people who were in Portugal before.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

My scholarship lasted 5 monts.
I recieved 450 euro/ month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Coimbra?

From my experience i can say , that being student in Coimbra is really exciting and funny .
It is a typical student city and wherever you go , you see students.
There are two popular holidays for students , which are worth visiting:
Corteijo - before academic semester starts
Queima das fitas - in the end of semester.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Coimbra to other students?

Yes, I would definitely recommend my Uni and sity.

What is the food like?

In Portugal sea food is really delicious and tasty.
Also I reccomend to try traditional pastry.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Coimbra?

Yes , it costed me around 80 euro (fee for Erasmusu) .

How much does it cost to live in Coimbra?

In my opinion 500 euro/month would be enough for living and traveling in Portugal.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Yes, portuguese language is not so hard , but for slavic people it might be challenging.
University provides language courses.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Coimbra from your city?

I used a plane from Poland to Portugal and then a bus from Lisbon to Coimbra.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Coimbra?

Mandarim, Glamour, Nb.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Coimbra?

Piscinas de Mondego,
Praxis,
Prazeres de carne,
Terraço de alta

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The University of Coimbra , which is the oldest in Portugal, Biblioteca Joanina , Igreja de Santa Cruz, Sé Velha, Mondego River Cruise and many others.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Coimbra in the future?

Its better to take warm staff for home , because during winter time it is quite cold in the apartment.