Despertar Saudade

Coimbra


In a town house overlooking Praça da República, this friendly lodging makes an excellent base. Its rooms are smallish but immaculately laid out with blond parquet and functional modern decor. There's also an airy kitchen where you can make your own breakfast with the supplies provided, and a small back courtyard.

Double-glazing keeps out most of the noise from the plaza below but still, the back facing rooms are quieter.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Coimbra attractions

1. Museu da Ciência

0.2 MILES

Coimbra's science museum is wonderful, with everything from kid-friendly interactive machines to early scientific instruments, fossils and skeletons. The…

2. Sé Nova

0.25 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…

3. Casa Museu Bissaya Barreto

0.28 MILES

Bissaya Barreto was a local surgeon, scholar and obsessive hoarder of fine arts, and his late-19th-century mansion is now a small museum. A guide (not…

4. Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro

0.3 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…

5. Jardim Botânico

0.3 MILES

A serene place to catch your breath, the lovely university-run botanic garden sits in the shadow of the 16th-century Aqueduto de São Sebastião. Founded by…

6. Porta Férrea

0.34 MILES

The university's main entrance is the Iron Gate, a 17th-century confection designed by architect António Tavares in 1634 on the orders of Rector D Álvaro…

7. Paço das Escolas

0.37 MILES

Housed in a former royal palace, this is the historic heart of the university, where traditional academic ceremonies are still held. The main ceremonial…

8. Universidade de Coimbra

0.38 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…