Official Coimbra Tourism website

Visitors

City of Humanity

In 2013, UNESCO recognized the exceptional value of the University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia by awarding it the World Heritage seal.

This recognition was a tribute to the historical, cultural and architectural importance of the city, which is home to one of the oldest university complexes in Europe and the world. The central core of this title is the University of Coimbra, whose origins date back to the 13th century and is the ultimate example of the city as a center of knowledge and learning.

"Its churches, colleges, squares and libraries preserve the essence of Coimbra as a city that influenced the history of Portugal."

The World Heritage title also includes the Upper Town and Rua da Sofia, where we find the perfect symbiosis between the medieval layout and the Renaissance and Baroque buildings that bear witness to the city's evolution over the centuries. Its churches, monasteries, squares and libraries preserve the essence of Coimbra as a city that influenced the history of Portugal, making it an unmissable jewel in the European cultural heritage.

Coimbra World Heritage Tour

Take our suggestion for a walking tour of the UNESCO area.

Itinerary here

The area of the classified property corresponds to four major moments in the history of creation, development, restructuring and consolidation of one of the oldest European universities and the only one in the Portuguese universe until 1911, with the exception of the period between 1559 and 1759 in which it coexisted with the University of Évora:

Paço das Escolas, the heart of the entire institution, with Islamic memories and memories of the 1st Dynasty of the Kingdom of Portugal;
Colégios da Rua da Sofia: where the history of the University in Coimbra begins when it was definitively installed in Coimbra;
The Pombaline Reform marked the transformation and evolution of knowledge in the 18th century with the restructuring of structures.
The buildings of the Estado Novo with all the new features that it provides to the upper part of the city of Coimbra.

The RUAS association is the managing entity of the property “University of Coimbra, Alta and Sofia”, registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Municipal Tourist Office

Old Coimbra Station A

António Granjo Street No. 6

3000-429 Coimbra, Portugal

Phone: 239 857 500

Email: tourism@cm-coimbra.pt