Location

Coimbra is an old university town located in the center-north of Portugal, 40 kilometers from the coast.

Coimbra was the first capital of Portugal in the 12th Century; the university dates from 1290. The University is located on a hill overlooking the river above the centre of the town and within the former castle. Apart from the university, the historical and cultural centre of Coimbra has many interesting places to visit including the Igreja de Santa Cruz (Holy Cross Church) and the Sé Velha (Old Cathedral, 12th Century).

Outside Coimbra there are many tourist attractions - monuments from the Roman era to the present day, mountains, spas and beaches.

How to get to Coimbra

There is no airport in Coimbra, so you must fly to Lisbon or Porto international airports and reach Coimbra by train, coach or car. The distance between Coimbra and Porto is around 100 km and between Coimbra and Lisbon is around 200 km.

By train: There are several daily trains connecting Coimbra and Porto (Campanhã railway station, there is tram line connecting directly from the airport) and Lisbon (Gare do Oriente, closer to the airport, and Santa Apolónia, in the city centre). There are two types of fast trains: Intercidades, with just a few stops or Alfa pendular, which are faster, some being direct.
In both cases, leave at Coimbra B railway station and take the connecting train to Coimbra railway station (this connection is free of charge), in the city centre. On the left side of this Central station you can take a bus (no. 103) direct to the University. (you can find here a map of the city bus lines in Coimbra). If yoy prefer to take a taxi you should do it at the Coimbra B railway station.
To have an idea of the location of the railway stations and the Department of Mathematics, where WNI2008 will take place, follow the links below.

By coach: There are several daily coaches connecting the three cities (Lisboa-Coimbra-Porto). The coach stations are not located in the airports so you must take a taxi or use the public transportation system to reach them. To find information about schedules please look at the Rede-expressos web site (in portuguese).

By car: The A1 motorway connecting Lisbon and Porto goes by Coimbra.

How to circulate in the town

Coimbra has a net of Urban Transports. that allows the connection to the main touristic sites. This is the least expensive means to move around the town. One Day Ticket - € 3,00. You may buy in advance a ten-journey ticket in automatic machines and in most kiosks. Get the schedules in SMTUC web page.

The railway station Coimbra-B is situated slightly outside the city and, therefore, a regular link is maintained with the small Coimbra-A station in the city centre.

Weather

• In Coimbra.
• In Portugal.

Good to know

The Tourist Office is located downtown in Largo da Portagem. There is another one across the street from Department of Mathematics. There you can get the Agenda Cultural de Coimbra, informing you on Cultural events and containing a list of useful addresses and institutions.

Most restaurants and bars are open until 12PM. Pubs usually close at 2AM. Lunchtime usually goes from 12PM to 3PM and dinnertime ranges between 7PM and 10PM