Penedo da saudade

Coimbra is the oldest and best university in Portugal. Most portuguese want to study there and those who do, have great memories of the city and the university.

And this memories don't stay only in tought, but after graduating, many ex-students pay tribute to Coimbra in a place called Penedo da Saudade.

Saudade is a word in portuguese that has no exact translation in any other language. It means to miss something, but still feel it inside. Like a memory you want to live again, but you're glad happened the way it did. That's how ex-students feel about Coimbra.

They inscribe poems, love letters in stones and put it there, representing their graduation year and course. There are stones with more than 300 years old, and some recent ones with less than 2 years old. It is a tradition that is passed by year after year.

Traditions

Coimbra is a university with many traditions - that is why it is so unique for those who studied and graduated there. Besides paying tributes in Penedo da Saudade, students also wear capes and gowns (which they call toga) for academic events, and have many traditional parties such as Latada and Queima das Fitas, and the courses dinners.

Even if you're not a student it is intresting to visit Coimbra to see all this tradition.

Penedo da Saudade

Besides the tributes and tradition, Penedo da Saudade is a great place to visit. It is a small park located in a high point of the city from where you can admire a beautiful panoramic view. It is a good place for enjoying the outsides, the nature and dating. Many couples go there for a romantic afternoon, but you can also see families, friends and people walking their dogs - it is a place for all tastes.

Also, there are some special classes that take place there, in a place called "Sala dos Cursos" with a big table and surrounded by tribute rocks with students poems for Coimbra. Teachers usually take their students there as a ceremony of beggining of classes. Older students also go there with freshmans as an welcoming activity they call Praxis - another tradition in Coimbra.

Location

It is located near the main campus of the university of Coimbra - about 15 minutes walking. It is really close to Jardim Botânico and Alma Shopping.

Just like almost every place in Coimbra, the best way to get there is by foot, but if you're too far away or can't walk very well, you can also grab a taxi (it won't cost more than 5 euros from the city center) or wait for a bus (they usually take long).

Visits

The place is free for visitations - like every park in the city - and the best time of the year to go is during summer, spring or autumn (during the winter it can be really cold and the threes won't have many leafes, so the nature won't be that beautiful). If you're in Coimbra during that period don't miss it.

Tourists usually don't spend more than a day in the city, so they usually don't visit this place. But if you already visited the University, Portagem and the main churches in town, you should definetly go there. Coimbra deserves more than a day in your travel itinerary.