Coimbra and Aveiro Tour, If you are in Lisbon and want a different day, come and visit the oldest European University and the Portuguese Venice !!! Do not miss this opportunity to get to know these two beautiful cities.

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Aveiro known for the its naval production and its Salt production since the Roman times.

The buildings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Art Nova, testify to the importance of Aveiro and the refined lines of an Art Deco and a Modernism driven by the period where Portugal was leaving in a dictatorship. Today the new challenge is its university campus, where some of the most important Portuguese architects “come out”.

In Coimbra you can’t miss  the Joanina Library, a Baroque building built in the 18th century in the reign of D. João V, its baroque interior divided into three quadrangular rooms with perfect arches where we can see university emblems in gilded carving, surpassed by royal crown of D. João V.

From the richness of materials to the artistic refinement of baroque decoration, the Joanina Library has some of the rarest and most important books in Portugal, so it is undoubtedly a true art temple devoted to human knowledge.

Coimbra downtown, right close to the Mondego river, where everything happens, a pleasant sidewalk street where you can relax and get lost in this charming city narrow streets and beautiful alleys, and squares, you will find countless cafes, pastry shops and restaurants.

Are you prepared to visit those two cities, book now our Coimbra and Aveiro Tour right now

Coimbra – Old Town

After two hours driving will arrive in Coimbra, first stop will be in the downtown area, the central zone of the city, this designation was developed with the separation of the “High”, where lived the nobility, the clergy and later the students, and the “Baixa”, dominated by commerce, crafts and neighborhoods.

Today, both are privileged places of the city, where services (banking, insurance, commerce), centuries of history, housing, culture, green spaces and leisure are mixed. It is here that you can find a part of the civic center of the city, the big shopping streets (such as Rua Ferreira Borges), the traditional Municipal Market D. Pedro V, Coimbra train station and important monuments such as the Santa Cruz Monastery.

Coimbra -University

Next we visit the University Palace, where is the Joanina Library, built between 1717 and 1728 is the jewel of the crown. This library portrates the hight of the Baroque art expression in Portugal, one of the most important in Europe. 

The name (Joanina) was given after the Portuguese King D. João V (1707-1750), who commissioned it and whose portrait, authored by Domenico Duprà (1725), stands out in this magnificient 250.000 volume library.

Although it was built following the royal project of reforming university studies (as a result of the diffusion of the Enlightenment currents in Portugal), the Joanine Library is recognized as one of the most original and spectacular European baroque libraries, Joao Ferreira was the master of works the decoration ( painted ) was only realized some years later.

During  the Pombaline Reformation: the frescoes of the ceilings and cimalhas were executed by António Simões Ribeiro, painter, and Vicente Nunes gilder. The celebrated portrait of  Portuguese King Joao V is attributed to the Italian Domenico Duprà and the painting and gilding of the shelves was carried out by Manuel da Silva.

IMPORTANT – If  visit to the University as well as the library is essential for you, let us know when booking your Coimbra and Aveiro Tour,  to book tickets in advance (not included in the price), as the visit to the Joanina Library it is numbered and otherwise it will be practically impossible to make the visit at the moment, after the reservation made the customer will be charged the same amount at the end of the tour (11.5 € / person), even if the visit is not made due to the client’s withdrawal or delay of the same.

Lunch ( optional )

If your visit, besides cultural is also gastronomic, we suggest a lunch stop in a place known for a specific dish, the “Leitao à Bairrada” one of the Portuguese most famous dishes, Leitao da Bairrada (suckling piglet).

A piglet ( around forty days ) and that has only been fed with milk, the animal, completely eviscerated, gets into hot water and all the bristles are removed, until the skin is absolutely white and inserted in the oven (remember that the Portuguese oven is made of wood) for two hours, you have to remove it every half hour, cleaning it thoroughlyskin with a cloth and returning it to the oven. 

This operation will cause the skin to harden and become crispy, which is the true secret of this stew.

Aveiro – Saline

In Aveiro we start our visit by finding the Salt plants that for decades was the most important business the region especially the Fleur de Sel (Salt Flower in french). 

This product was mainly used to preserve the Codfish caught by Portuguese fishermen in the cold waters of the north atlantic sea. Here we will learn all about this old artisan process. 

Aveiro – Center

Reviews Tripadvisor

  Experiência foi ótima. A van estava a altura do que esperávamos, confortável e segura. O motorista além de simpático e seguro nos proporcionou uma viagem agradável, com dicas históricas e... read more muita disponibilidade.

R8053XHmarcelop
12 de November, 2022

  Fomos muito felizes, nos dias em que passamos conhecendo Portugal. Conhecemos várias cidades,castelos,igrejas.museus,monumentos e a famosa faculdade de Coimbra.Tivemos a felicidade de ter como guia/ motorista o Sr.Carlos Rodrigues,que nos... read more atendeu com muita maestria,interagiu com família fez da nossa viagem uma alegria,nos passou muito conhecimento!
Há ele.meus agradecimentos Rosa Maria S F Baggio

Rosa Maria B
12 de January, 2023