We will visit the city of Aveiro – “The Portuguese Venice”, located in the bay of the Aveiro River. It is crossed by a whole network of canals, along which painted “moliceiro” boats sail. Aveiro also has a number of Art Nouveau buildings worth seeing and, of course, the “striped houses” in Costa Nova. Our must-visit place will also be the Aveiro City Museum, located in the Convent of Jesus, where you can admire the mausoleum of Princess Saint Joana and the gilded wooden carvings that adorn the interior of the church.
On the way to the city of Coimbra, we will stop in the village of Mealhada, which is known for its dishes made from milk-fed piglets and Bairrada wines. Here, those interested can have lunch.
We are heading to get acquainted with the city of Coimbra – a very cozy city, with its own special, unique student atmosphere. The narrow winding streets leading up the hill will take you to the Old (Romanesque) Cathedral and, through the arch of the Arab city of Al-Medina, to Baixa (Lower Town) – the commercial part of the city and the Church of the Holy Cross, where the remains of the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, rest. Above the city rises the building of the oldest university in the country (the former royal palace) – the first in the country and one of the oldest in Europe. Today, about 23 thousand students study at its 8 faculties. The university library is one of the oldest and largest in Europe. Among the attractions of Coimbra, you can also notice many religious buildings. One of them is the monastery church of Santa Cruz, founded in 1131. In this temple, the first Portuguese king Afonso Henriques and his heir Sancho are buried. The monks of the Santa Cruz monastery initially cared for the students of Coimbra University. Later, the Romanesque monastery fell into disrepair but was restored in 1502 by order of King Manuel I.
