RunCity

Coimbra on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Coimbra's best-known sights, including Old Cathedral, University Tower and Iron Gate, New Cathedral and more. It is about 4.5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Coimbra leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 4.5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 47 minRunning
Play Coimbra in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Coimbra
Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo · CC BY 2.0

Coimbra climbs a steep hill above the Mondego river, crowned by one of Europe's oldest universities, and this route of about 4.5 km covers both. It starts at the fortress-like Old Cathedral and climbs to the university's clock tower, seen through the Iron Gate; the Joanina Library inside needs a timed ticket. The New Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, sits just below.

Down in the lower town, the carved Manueline front of the Santa Cruz Monastery and the medieval Arco de Almedina lead to the Santa Clara Bridge over the Mondego and the Gothic ruins of Santa Clara-a-Velha, long flooded by the river. Back across, the route climbs to the terraced Botanical Garden, the arches of the São Sebastião Aqueduct and the bonus stop, the Jardim da Sereia with its mermaid fountain. The old town's lanes are steep and stepped; in the evening, look for a fado performance by students in black capes.

12345678910

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Old Cathedral

    Old Cathedral Photo

    The fortress-like Romanesque façade of the old cathedral.

    Photo: GFreihalter, edited by MenkinAlRire · CC BY 3.0

  2. University Tower and Iron Gate

    University Tower and Iron Gate Photo

    The university clock tower above the courtyard, seen from the Iron Gate.

    Photo: António Augusto Gonçalves · Public domain

  3. New Cathedral

    New Cathedral

    The Jesuit church on the hill, now the city's cathedral.

    Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Santa Cruz Monastery

    Santa Cruz Monastery Photo

    The richly carved Manueline façade of the old monastery.

    Photo: syvwlch [2] · CC BY 2.0

  5. Arco de Almedina

    Arco de Almedina Photo

    The medieval gate that leads up into the old town.

    Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA. · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Santa Clara Bridge

    Santa Clara Bridge Photo

    The long bridge over the Mondego river.

    Photo: Mister No · CC BY 3.0

  7. Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha

    Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha Photo

    The Gothic monastery ruins by the river.

    Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Botanical Garden

    Botanical Garden

    The terraced garden on the hillside below the aqueduct.

    Photo: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL · CC BY 2.0

  9. São Sebastião Aqueduct

    São Sebastião Aqueduct Photo

    The tall stone arches of the 16th-century aqueduct.

    Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0

  10. Jardim da Sereia

    Jardim da Sereia Bonus Photo

    The shady park with its mermaid fountain and pond.

    Photo: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL · CC BY-SA 2.0

Play Coimbra in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Coimbra on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 4.5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Coimbra is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Coimbra?

    Open Coimbra in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Coimbra leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Old Cathedral and finishing at Jardim da Sereia. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities