This small square, formerly part of the cloister of the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, is dominated by its monumental centrepiece: a lemon-yellow, four-buttressed fountain that symbolises the source of life. An early example of Renaissance architecture in Portugal, it owes its name to a legend that King Joao III sketched its design on his sleeve (manga in Portuguese).
Jardim da Manga
Coimbra
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.29 MILES
Coimbra's Unesco-listed university, one of the world's oldest, was originally founded in Lisbon in 1290. It was subsequently relocated several times…
0.3 MILES
The university's baroque library is Coimbra's headline sight. Named after King João V, who sponsored its construction between 1717 and 1728, it features a…
8.48 MILES
Set in the lush countryside southwest of Coimbra, this is Portugal’s largest and most impressive Roman site. Ancient Conímbriga was an important city in…
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Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro
0.2 MILES
This great museum is a highlight of central Portugal. Housed in a 12th-century bishop's palace, it stands over the city's ancient Roman forum, remains of…
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19.3 MILES
Between Aveiro and Coimbra, in the village of Sangalhos in the Bairrada wine-producing region, this magnificent place is part adega (winery), part art…
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0.18 MILES
Coimbra's 12th-century cathedral is one of Portugal's finest examples of Romanesque architecture. The main portal and facade are particularly striking,…
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0.23 MILES
Coimbra's science museum is wonderful, with everything from kid-friendly interactive machines to early scientific instruments, fossils and skeletons. The…
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11.9 MILES
Sprawling out from the Palacio do Buçaco, this aromatic forest is littered with crumbling chapels, fountains, ponds and exotic trees. There is a network…
Nearby Coimbra attractions
0.06 MILES
Overlooking the graceful Praça 8 de Maio, this is one of Coimbra's oldest churches, dating to the 12th century. Little remains of the original Romanesque…
2. Núcleo da Guitarra e do Fado de Coimbra/Torre de Anto
0.1 MILES
The Torre de Anto, once part of the ancient city walls, takes its name from the poet António Nobre (1867–1900) who lived here in the late 19th century…
0.13 MILES
The early-16th-century Palácio de Sub Ripas, now home to the university's Instituto de Arqueologia, is a striking example of 16th-century architecture. It…
4. Núcleo da Cidade Muralhada/Torre de Almedina
0.16 MILES
Housed in the medieval tower over the Arco de Almedina, this small museum has a plaster cast of the city's early layout, complete with castle and…
0.18 MILES
This heavy-duty Moorish gateway, just off the main shopping drag, leads through to Coimbra's upper town. Follow through the arch and head up the steep…
0.18 MILES
Coimbra's 12th-century cathedral is one of Portugal's finest examples of Romanesque architecture. The main portal and facade are particularly striking,…
7. Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro
0.2 MILES
This great museum is a highlight of central Portugal. Housed in a 12th-century bishop's palace, it stands over the city's ancient Roman forum, remains of…
0.21 MILES
The landmark 'new' cathedral, started by the Jesuits in 1598 and completed a century later, dominates the square of the same name high in the old town…