Lost in Coimbra

If you have the chance to choose Coimbra for your Erasmus year, do it, don't miss out this opportunity!

Coimbra is Portuguese university city by excellence, a goal for many Portuguese and foreign students. Especially, in the last years, Coimbra is becoming pretty popular, attracting hundreds and hundreds of students and tourists each year. You will be surrounded by the architectonic wonders of the Middle Ages, in which students from the University spend their time wearing the traditional black "traje". You will find everywhere young artists that sing and play songs from the traditional Fado and the atmosphere that you will breathe will be like the one from a magical place, where time seems to be still.

Coimbra is the city of "saudade do Portugal": it is one of the most representative cities in Portugal and, when you leave the city you will miss a city that fulls your heart and your soul of emotions.

It is a very popular Erasmus destination, almost more than the big Portuguese cities; actually, being a university city, it offers everything that a student looks for, bringing curiosity and getting the attention of many foreign students, especially Spaniards, Polish, English and Italian students. Also Asian students, which are the first ones to love this city: when I used to attend Portuguese lessons at the university, they were full of Asian people.

Life quality and expenses

Life quality is perfect and the expenses are relatively cheap, so you will not have any problems when taking into account your budget; actually, there are many discounts and offers for Erasmus and non-Erasmus students.

The rents that you pay for a room or small apartment are relatively low in comparison with the ones from big cities, such as Lisbon or Porto. For a single room, the maximum price that you can pay goes from 180 to 250 euros, with all expenses included, while, for a small apartment, from 300 to 450 euros, all expenses included. You will find many supermarkets and discounts, very economic for buying anything you want at a low price. The expenses for public transport is very low; a single ticket costs 1,60 euros. If you want o visit Portugal, Coimbra is very well-connected to the rest of the country. Being in a central location, you can visit the country without making long trips, either by bus or train; in both cases, you will find good discounts for students.

Living in Coimbra: what places I recommend

The choice will depend on your ideas and availability, in every place that is useful for you. Anyway, I recommend you Baixa. From my experience, the best place I live in was Baixa, this is, the low part of the city, the one that follows the river and that includes a part of the old city center.

Here, you will be well-connected to all the Poli and faculties of Coimbra: the Polo I is 15 minutes far. The location is perfect for the ones that have to go to the Poli or its different faculties since you can do it taking the bus, perfectly connected to every faculty. Baixa, actually, offers direct connections for and within the university: almost all lines stop at the university, and, quickly, you can be at any point of the city you desire. Consequently, not taking into account your university, Baixa offers it is very practical for moving around. This is like the central part of Coimbra: the old city center and Praça da República are close, as well as the river. Moreover, it is close to the two train stations: Coimbra and Coimbra B.

It is a residential and lively location: there is a lot of movement and lots of supermarkets, discounts and commercial activity of every genre: home stores, Asian markets, perfumeries, butchers, fruit shops... Moreover, in Baixa, you will be close to the big buildings of Loja do cidadão, where it is possible to buy and renew the transport tickets.

For people who like sports, in Baixa, there are several gyms and you are also close to Parco Verde, perfect for running at any time.

However, there is not that much nightlife as bars and pubs lack: consequently, during the weekend, you have to walk to the old city center; the disadvantage is that if you are alone, especially if you are a woman, it is better to come back home taking a taxi, which will cost you maximum 2 euros if you take it in Praça da República. One of the strange characteristics, which makes sense taking into account the small location, it is during the night, especially in Baixa, streets are completely empty and quiet, and the only people you can see are homeless or drunk people that could disturb you. Therefore, it is always better to come back home in a group of people or by any type of transport, like taxi or bus. Regarding my experience, during the 5 months I lived in Baixa, I did not have any problem, however, it is better to be prudent.

University events

In Coimbra, several university events are organized. Throughout the year there are different events: the Queima das Fitas, the Praxis and the Festa das Latadas.

The Queima das Fitas is one of the most exciting events and, at the same time, disruptive, in the real sense. Also known as Semana académica, it is celebrated in several Portuguese cities, such as Porto, Braga, Viseu or Evora. It was born in Coimbra, university city by excellence and, according to the tradition, it is an opportunity to celebrate the end of the university for students close to the graduation. Today the Queima is part of all students independently of the year of studies, and it is a way of celebrating the end of the academic year and, for some students, the end of university life. The event is that big that it also includes the inhabitants, tourists and students from the Politecnico, the second university in Coimbra.

In its origins, during the Queima, every student burned their own ribbon ("fita", in Portuguese): every student, actually had a ribbon of a color that reprensented their faculty, for example yellow for medicine, red for law, purple for pharmacy, orange for psychology and humanities, blue for letters, etc. From this tradition, the event chose the name of queima (burn) das fitas (of the ribbons). The ribbons were and are, also today, used by students who usually hang them on their own, "pasta", a black folder that they always carry with them.

The Queima lasts 8 days and, usually, it takes place the first week of May. You will probably have the chance to be part of this event since, either in the Politecnico and the university, lessons are canceled to allow all students to participate in this event.

Several events are part of this party. The most exciting one is probably the night of the night songs or Serenata Monumentale: students gather together in front of the cathedral Sé Velha for singing typical songs from Fado. The square is crowded with students that, around the cathedral, listen in silence to their colleagues singing, which are usually placed on the cathedral's stairs. You will notice that all students will start crying, embracing each other and singing together the beautiful songs that evoke memories from the university life of the past. This is probably the most exciting experience of the Queima that will move you.

Particullary, the parade with allegorical wagons is funny: every faculty builds a allegorical wagon that represents the course.

The results are amazing: giant and colorful wagons and, most of the times, risqué. Wagons go through all the city and behind them, the students. One of the characteristics of this event is the river of alcohol; it is an occasion in which every student is free from any fear for celebrating the efforts done during the academic year.

In Parco Verde, an extensive location, several stands are place as discosand a big scenary, in which, for 7 days during night, concerts take place. You can enter and buy a ticket for a single night of a pass for the whole week for a higher price. Although you are tourists, it will be impossible for you to miss out this event.

To conclude, the last day of the Queima is closed with a bath in the cold waters of the river Mondego.

To continue, between September and October, the Praxis takes place. This is a traditions thar involves the juniors. Recently inscribed, they have to go through initial rituals done by older students. Anything to worry about, they are just challenges and games of ability or strenght. At the end of the Praxis, juniors are able to wear the famous and characteristic black academic traje. During Praxis, I recommend you to go to Praça da República, were you will see hordes of students going through these challenges.

You will see them running, jumping or even singing songs, in unreal situations.

Following this, in October, it takes place the Latada, a university party for celebrating the beginning of the academic year. Its goal is to welcome juniors and integrate them in the university community, while for some students, it is a way of celebrating the beginning of the end, this is, the beginning of the last academic year. Moreover, the Latada, among the many events, has a Serenata Monumentale and the hordes of students: this time, you will see students celebrating in the streets of Coimbra, usually dressed up as if it was carnival and everyone wearing the colors of their course. It is called Festa das Latas because, originally, cans were attached to the juniors' legs; today, you will see students that drag shopping carts full of beer cans.

For knowing with detail, all parties, which and when the events take place, you can check the official university sites, or student associations, or also read the local boards that are around the city: this way, you will not miss out anything.

The university

There are two universities in Coimbra: the Universidade de Coimbra and the Politecnico de Coimbra.

The Universidade de Coimbra is older and backs to 1000 years ago. It has several faculties, popular and prestigious, such as the one of letters, medicine, economics, pharmacy, psychology, law, ingineering, and more.

There are multiple and divided buildings such as Polo I, Polo II and Polo III, these last one a little bit far from the old city center.

The Politécnico is not less important, where I studied and worked. New and well-equipped structures, where professional courses are offered: agrarian, technology and ingineering, business, and more. The structures are around 6, each one known through different acronyms, such as ESAC (Escola Superior deAgrária) or ISCAC (Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração). Each structure is placed in diverse points of the city and far from each other. In the Politécnico there are university traditions, but there are less strong than the ones of the Universidade; for example, students do not wear the black traje nor they have the Queima das fitas nor of the Latada.

Night life

Being a university city and tourist attraction, most of the businesses are based in tourists and students, and for this reason, you will find many night clubs, among them bars, discos and pubs. From my experience, the old city center is pretty expensive, since it is mostly visited by tourists. It is Praça da Repúplica the favourite location for students: a meeting point, it is full of bars and discos. You must know that you can enter for free in discos and that drinks' prices are low.

Social life

You will not have any problem for meeting people; you will be surrounded by people from different nationalities and cultures, and this will give you the opportunity of living new experiences, growing personally and discover new things. If you are alone or not when reaching the city, I recommend you to subscribe to associations such as Erasmusland or ESN Coimbra, which will give you the opportunity of being part of group travels and university nights, getting in touch with more people.

Regarding university life, it is not necessary to know Portuguese; professors and, more or less, students, speak perfectly English. Also in stores, such as supermarkets or fashion shops, staff can speak English. If you talk Spanish or Italian, you have a big advantage and you will have a source to better understand the language.

What to visit

Coimbra, being a really old city, offers many places to visit.

It is impossible not to visit the old city center from the Middle Ages and its old churches and cathedrals, such as Santiago's church, Santa Cruz church, Sé Nova cathedral and Sé Velha Cathedral.

Leaving the city center behind, you will find the wonderful Monastero de Santa Clara a nova.

It is a must the Universidade de Coimbra, in which the popular Porta and the Torre de Almedina can be found, and the famous Biblioteca Joanina.

Parcs and gardens give color to the city such as the gardens of Quinta das Lágrimas, the Jardim Botanico, the Jardim da Sereia and the Parco Verde with the Jardins Manuel Braga that are in front of theMondego river.

For having more information about Coimbra, you can visit my blog, Chiara's blog, where you will find more detailed information that I got from my experience and I hope it will be useful for you.