Coimbra

The Universidade de Coimbra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Biblioteca Joanina (Joanine Library) is its crown jewel. Built in the 18th century under King Joao V, the library has three interconnected rooms lined with gilded bookshelves rising to painted ceilings. It houses over 250,000 volumes. Book your ticket in advance, as the library limits visitor numbers. The university courtyard, the chapel, and the ceremonial hall are also worth visiting. The views from the university terrace acr

Coimbra's old town divides into the upper city (Alta, around the university) and the lower city (Baixa, along the river). The narrow streets between the two are steep and atmospheric, full of student bars, bookshops, and small restaurants. The Arco de Almedina, a medieval gate, marks the boundary. Walk from the river up through the old quarter to the university, stopping as the mood takes you. The journey is the destination.

The old cathedral is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in Portugal, built in the 12th century during the earliest years of the Portuguese kingdom. The exterior looks more like a fortress than a church, which was deliberate given the era. The interior is simple and powerful, with a beautiful Renaissance altarpiece and Gothic cloisters. It sits on the slope between the upper and lower old town and is easily visited on the walk between them.

Coimbra has its own style of fado, distinct from the more famous Lisbon tradition. Here, fado is sung by men (traditionally university students) and has a more intellectual, melancholic character. Several bars and performance spaces in the old town offer evening fado performances. The A Capella bar, housed in a former chapel, is one of the best-known venues. Sitting in a candlelit stone room listening to fado after eight days of walking is a deeply atmospheric experience.

The Coimbra region's signature dish is chanfana, a slow-cooked goat stew braised in red wine from the nearby Dao region. It is rich, tender, and deeply flavoured. The Dao wines that accompany it are excellent, particularly the reds. The restaurants in the Baixa (lower town) and around the Praca do Comercio serve traditional Coimbra cuisine at reasonable prices. Also try the leitao da Bairrada (roast suckling pig), which becomes the regional speciality as you head north from here.

Coimbra is the best rest day city between Lisbon and Porto. The university, the old town, the fado, and the food all justify a full non-walking day. If you have been walking for eight consecutive days from Lisbon, your body needs the break. Coimbra has the atmosphere and the depth to make a rest day feel like a gift rather than a pause. Spend the morning at the university, the afternoon in the old town, and the evening listening to fado.