Walks · Coimbra · English
7 narrated stops, 21 minutes of stories, 2.5 km on foot. Press play at each stop — no app needed — or open the walk in Avsha and let the stories keep coming as you move.
Stop 1 · Fonte das Lágrimas, Coimbra, Portugal · 3 min
In short: The fountain commemorates the tragic love between Prince Pedro and Inês de Castro. Legend says it sprang from the tears Inês wept when she was murdered by assassins, and the red tint on its stones is her permanent bloodstain.
↓ 750 m · 11 min to the next stop
Stop 2 · Portugal dos Pequenitos, Coimbra, Portugal · 3 min
In short: Portugal dos Pequenitos is the oldest theme park in Portugal, opened in June 1940. Located in Coimbra, it features miniature replicas of regional houses, national monuments, and former overseas territories to help children learn about their country through play.
↓ 150 m · 2 min to the next stop
Stop 3 · Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha, Coimbra, Portugal · 3 min
In short: The monastery was abandoned in the mid-17th century due to persistent flooding from the Mondego River. After centuries of raising floor levels and navigating by boat, the nuns moved to a new monastery built high on a hill.
↓ 900 m · 13 min to the next stop
Stop 4 · 3 min
In short: The name translates to "toll" because for centuries the square served as a checkpoint. Travelers crossing the Mondego bridge had to stop there to pay a tax before entering the city to trade goods or study at the university.
↓ 300 m · 4 min to the next stop
Stop 5 · Arco de Almedina, Coimbra, Portugal · 3 min
In short: The Arco de Almedina was the main entrance to medieval Coimbra, separating riverfront commerce from the city’s political heart. Its name reflects its Moorish origins, and its tower served as the seat of municipal government for centuries.
↓ 200 m · 3 min to the next stop
Stop 6 · Sé Velha de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal · 3 min
In short: Built in the 12th century, the cathedral's fortress-like design with high windows and crenellations provided physical protection. This was necessary because Coimbra sat on the shifting border between the Christian North and the Moorish South at the time.
↓ 250 m · 3 min to the next stop
Stop 7 · Biblioteca Joanina, Coimbra, Portugal · 3 min
In short: The library is home to a resident colony of bats that emerge at night to hunt insects. These insects would otherwise eat the paper and bindings of the collection's priceless books, helping to preserve them for centuries.