"Coimbra through my eyes..." a Coimbra Travel Page by rp6686

Coimbra is a nice, clean, small city.
The major population is composed by students. I, myself, already studied, lived and worked there.
In my humble opinion it's an extremely nice city to study but... in what concerns to live 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and to work... well, things change.

There are lots of students parties, two are the major ones.
One, in October/ November to welcome the new students (caloiros) is called Latada. It lasts about a week.
In Latada (note: lata = can) the older students (doutores) wear the traditional student suit (traje) and take caloiros all over the city with cans around their feet (to make noise). At night there are a lot of concerts in the Universitary Pavillion (on the other side of river Mondego. To go there just follow where *everybody* goes in those evenings). The party ends when the sunrises...

The other is called Queima das Fitas. It's bigger and it lasts 5 days (and 5 long nights) usually starts at midnight on the first thursday of May with a traditional Fado session, this is the first time when caloiros are allowed to wear traje. In the other days there are lots of concerts with some major national and international bands. Usually, after concerts people keep chatting around and driking beer... lots of beer. During Queima das Fitas the *nights* end around 10am or 12am.
On tuesday of that week there is a traditional parade throughout the city, it's called Cortejo. In Cortejo students wear traje with their course' traditional color. Finalists burn ribbons of the color of their courses.

Coimbra is the, so called, Portuguese capital of health. You can easily find health realted workers almost everywhere as well as medicine and nursing students.
In the Summer (during university holidays) there isn't much activity. Definitely the best time to go to Coimbra is May (Queima das Fitas).

Even though it's worth to visit the university (the eldest in Portugal and one of the eldest in the world).
It's very pleasant to take a ride on Basófias (the boat in Rio Mondego).

You need any extra information on Coimbra? Mail me. As soon as i read your message i'll answer.