Hello, fellow travelers!
I'm planning to head to Portugal in August. I have two questions I was hoping someone might be able to answer:
1) Is Coimbra worth visiting when the university's not in session, or is it a ghost town?
2) What is Portugal like during the Feast of the Assumption (August 15)?
Thanks for sharing your expertise!
I’ve not been to Coimbra during school break but doubt very much it’s a ghost town. It’s a good sized city with other things besides the university. Do a walking tour that includes the university library. It’s stunning.
August 15 is like many religious or bank holidays in Portugal. One barely knows it’s happening unless you try to go to a bank. Some cities may have small celebrations but it’s not one of the main holidays.
Even if school is out, you can still walk the university grounds and take the self guided tour that includes the library. When we visited we weren’t looking to see students, just the buildings. While up at the university walk over to seethe aqueduct and step into the new cathedral. If you don’t want to walk up the hill there is a funicular by the central market. Everything else we did was in the Santa Cruz church/8th of May plaza area. It was very lively.
