Coimbra

Seat of the country's oldest university, Coimbra was also the birthplace of six kings and the capital of Portugal from 1139 to 1256. It is therefore a city full of historical associations, joint with the colourful customs of the students that fill its universities.
Also historic is the National Forest of Buçaco, which goes back as early as the 6th century and contains hundreds of native and exotic species of trees and bushes, as well as, in its centre, the Buçaco Palace Hotel, with its romantic 19th century architecture and renowned murals and tiles.

Further south, Figueira da Foz is a popular seaside resort, with an extensive sandy beach and a sea that invites surfers.
Inland, Montemor-o-Velho exhibits a castle mainly from the 14th century but which includes vestiges of the Moorish and Roman occupations, while Cantanhede is known for its white wines and Conímbriga, near Coimbra, is the largest excavated roman site in Portugal, providing a vivid picture of a prosperous roman city.
Throughout the district, there are several interesting castles and historic sites to visit, together with a variety of wooded sceneries.

Dr. Santos Rocha Municipal Museum (Figueira da Foz)
This museum includes several pieces basically related to the archaeological discovery. Opened every day, except Mondays and national holidays, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., the museum shows several collections of religious sculpture, ceramics, glass, numismatics, indo-Portuguese art, African and Oriental collections.

Carniçosas Dolmen (Figueira da Foz)
The Carniçosas Dolmen consists on a gallery, 4,50 meters long, formed by two rows of flagstone and by a chamber limited by five flagstones that support each other. It is almost impossible to describe, so we suggest you go and see for yourself.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição Chapel (Figueira da Foz)
This chapel is remarkable especially for its artistic interior. The walls are covered with tiles and that, together with the carved altar and the interesting ornament of the pulpits, gives the Nossa Senhora da Conceição Chapel a really dazzling artistic matrix.

Cantanhede´s Mother-Church (Cantanhede)
Probably founded on the 10th century, it shows today the result of the several changes it was submitted to.
The sober exterior is marked by the Baroque portal and by the tower that is connected to the church on the north side. The main door of the temple has, on both sides, columns settled on cushioned foundations.
The interior shows three naves divided by arcades supported by columns of the second half of the 16th century. It has a principal chapel, two collateral chapels and five more on the church’s body.

Bugalhos’s House (Cantanhede)
This is a 17th century building located at Pedro Teixeira Square that still maintains aspects of its primitive construction. Considered one of the last examples of the civil architecture of Cantanhede, this building presents on the façade a stone balcony with a little atrium partially covered with white and blue tiles. The ground floor was used to shelter animals and to store agricultural provisions and the first floor was used for living.
This structure belongs to S. Pedro’s de Cantanhede Church Fabric Commission since 1992 and will be soon turned into a religious art museum.

Conímbriga’s Roman Ruins (Condeixa)
On Coimbra’s county visitors can find roman traces, from which the highlight are the Conímbriga’s roman ruins. This is not only the best preserved conjunct of roman quarters in Portugal, but is also the mirror of the impressive technology and architecture of that time and of a daily life made between columns and mosaics.

Paços do Concelho (Lousã)
The Town Hall of Lousã it’s a half a century structure, built between 1930 and 1934. On its interior there are several interesting motifs, like the baroque tiles and the Saloon paintings.
In this building also works the Álvaro Viana de Lemos Municipal Museum, where visitors can admire old and contemporary, religious and laic paintings, archaeological objects and old weights and measures.

Penacova’s Mother-Church (Penacova)
The actual building dates from the second half of the 16th century. A roman tombstone from the 1st century is kept on the sacristy, confirming the roman colonisation of the village at that time. There are several chapels on this church, all within the coimbran mannerism style.