University of Coimbra

Visiting Coimbra? Go back to school and discover the university that has shaped generations of thinkers.

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Coimbra: The city with the centenary university

Those who talk about Portugal mention Coimbra, fado and, of course, the city's century-old university. It is over 700 years since it was founded, and the University of Coimbra, which is almost as old as Portugal itself, is a must for anyone visiting the country, or for those wanting to enjoy a quality university education in an unusual setting.

History of the University of Coimbra

The University of Coimbra is a place to get lost in, both for visitors and for those who choose it for their university studies. The official founding date of the university is 1 March 1290 and it currently has an enrolment of around 25,000 students. Among the most illustrious over the centuries are the physician and Nobel Prize winner for medicine Egas Moniz, the diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the writers Luís Vaz de Camões (yes, really), Eça de Queirós, Almeida Garrett, Miguel Torga, Mário de Sá Carneiro, Eugénio de Andrade, José Régio and Antero de Quental, the philosopher Eduardo Lourenço, the musician Zeca Afonso and the architect Fernando Távora, among other illustrious names. It is the country's university par excellence, and over the years it has trained generations of thinkers. It was also, in the tumultuous 1960s, the epicentre of the student revolt against the Estado Novo dictatorship, including the academic crisis of 1969, which resulted in the arrest of several students from the academy.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

But let's get back to the tour: and find out why the University of Coimbra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Whether it is for the history of the institution, for its intrinsic link with the history of Portugal, or for the architectural details of its buildings, its chapel and the Cabra, the main bell in its tower, whose construction took place between 1728 and 1733, and whose ringing is an indication to students that it is time to enter (or leave) classes.

It consists of three hubs, eight faculties and 18 museums, as well as a botanical garden and the Coimbra University Stadium, home to the Académica, the city's iconic football club, and its students.

From Coimbra to Lisbon and from Lisbon to Coimbra 😵‍💫

The university was not always located in Coimbra, however. It was founded in 1290, and recognised on 9 August of that year, by the bull of Pope Nicholas IV, the General Study, with the faculties of Letters, Canon Law, Civil Law and Medicine. At that time, however, the university was located in the present-day Carmo district of Lisbon. The transfer to Coimbra did not take place until 1308, and then returned to the capital in 1338. Another move to Coimbra took place in 1354, and 23 years later it returned to Lisbon. It was not until 1537 that the university was finally transferred to Coimbra, by order of King João III.

Practical information

Getting to the University of Coimbra

A visit to the University of Coimbra is a must for anyone visiting Portugal: the city is served by the Coimbra B train station, with connections to the country's main cities and regular services to them. This also applies to road links.

Opening hours

The University of Coimbra is open every day from 9am to 5pm (last admission at 4pm).