6 Best Sights in Coimbra, Coimbra and Central Portugal

With over 250 years of history, this storied seminary houses one of Portugal's most impressive collections of 18th-century Italian art, a church, and a library with over 9,000 books. There's a museum dedicated to the works of priest and artist Nunes Pereira, housed in the workshop where he crafted some of his finest pieces. With a lofty location near the the botanical gardens, the seminary offers breathtaking views of the city, and also offers "Spiritual Tourism" stays (advance booking essential) for visitors looking for respite from the hectic pace of life. Guided tours of the seminary are available in English, but be sure to book at least one day in advance via the website.

This is Portugal's National Pantheon, the final resting place of the country's first two kings, Dom Afonso Henriques and his son Dom Sancho I. The lower portions of the interior walls are lined with azulejos depicting various religious motifs. Look a little closer and you'll notice flaws in the design---that's because the tiles were installed in the 18th century, as a quick fix after flooding damaged the 12th-century frescos that were there originally. The 16th-century baroque organ is a sight to behold. From the sacristy, a door opens to the Casa do Capitulo (Silent Cloister); this double-tier Manueline cloister contains scenes from the Passion of Christ, attributed to Chanterene.

Repeated flooding of the nearby Mondego River forced the nuns of Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha to flee to higher ground. Built in the 17th century, the church honors Queen Isabel of Aragon. Her remains are held on the altar in a silver-and-glass sarcophagus that was originally intended to be displayed beneath an ornate arch at the old monastery. The cloisters are by far the most beautiful in Coimbra; arrive early on a weekday and chances are you'll wander the echoing archways and gardens with just the gardeners for company. During the Peninsular War, the French General Massena used the convent as a hospital for hundreds of troops wounded during the battle of Buçaco. The church's carefully hidden treasures escaped the desecration inflicted on so many Portuguese monuments during this period.

The evocative ruin of Coimbra's 14th-century monastery has undergone extensive restoration to reverse centuries of flood damage. For more than 300 years, the ground floor was completely immersed in water, silt, and mud due to its proximity to the Mondego River. Today, you can safely explore the ruin, observing eerie water stains along the walls. Outside are the excavations of the nuns' private quarters, their refectory, and cloisters, some still with their original tiles visible. There's also a kitchen garden and a contemporary museum displaying relics found during the restoration project.

Engaged in an ongoing struggle with the Moors, the Portuguese often incorporated fortifications into their churches---which is why the 12th-century Sé Velha looks more like a fortress than a house of worship. It's made of massive granite blocks and crowned by a ring of battlements, and the harsh exterior is softened somewhat by its graceful 16th-century Renaissance doorway. The somber interior has a gilded wooden altarpiece: a late-15th-century example of the Flamboyant Gothic style, created by the Flemish masters Olivier of Ghent and Jean d'Ypres.

This 17th-century cathedral was patterned after the baroque church of Il Gesù in Rome, as were many such churches of the day. It took a century to build and shows two distinct styles as fashion changed from classical cleanliness to the florid baroque. Three enormous and elaborate gilded altarpieces are the highlight of the interior, flanked by 17th-century choir stalls moved here from Sé Velha (Old Cathedral). There's a pair of organs, both from the 18th century. A small and slightly bizarre ecclesiastical museum displays religious figurines in glass boxes.