SCHOOL ON INTEGER PROGRAMMING AND
COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION
June 4-7 2001, Coimbra, Portugal
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THE
CITY
Coimbra
is the third largest city of Portugal and it is located
200 km north of Lisbon and 100 km south of Oporto and 35
km east of the Atlantic coast at Figueira da Foz. The
city may be reached by train, or by bus, from the
international airports of Lisbon and Oporto. The train
takes two hours from Lisbon and one hour fifteen from
Oporto. The A1 motorway that connects Lisbon to Oporto
passes by Coimbra. There are also good road connections
to and from Spain through Salamanca.
Coimbra
has a noteworthy national and international projection in
health and education. The city has
160 000 inhabitants, of which 30 000 are university
students. Coimbra is also part of a rich touristic area,
with a unique historical heritage, wonderful beaches,
numerous spas, beautiful mountains and landscapes.
The city ex-libris
is the seven hundred year university as it was founded in
1290 and it is one of the oldest in Europe. But,
other historical places deserve a visit, like the Igreja
de Santa Cruz (Holy Cross Church), the Sé Velha
(Old Cathedral, 12th Century) and the Machado de
Castro Museum. In the surroundings of Coimbra the
roman ruins of Conimbriga and the Portugal
dos Pequenitos (whole Portugal at children's size)
also provide cultural end entertaining experiences.
Coimbra is also known for the widely acclaimed music
style Fado de Coimbra.
HOW
TO GET THERE
The
international airport of Lisbon serves Coimbra by train
or by bus. The railway station is Santa Apolónia or
Oriente. You should get a ticket to Coimbra for express
trains like Intercidades, Alfa or Alfa
Pendular. There are trains to Coimbra every two
hours, roughly - you may see the complete train timetable
from Lisbon to Coimbra and from Coimbra to Lisbon. You may see local
selection of train schedules. The bus takes two hours to get to Coimbra
- you may see the complete bus schedule and a local selection of bus schedules.
The
international airport of Oporto basically serves Coimbra
by train. The railway station is Campanhã. You
should get a ticket to Coimbra for express trains like Intercidades,
Alfa or Alfa Pendular. There are trains to
Coimbra every two hours, roughly - you may see the
complete train timetable from Oporto to Coimbra and from Coimbra to Oporto. You may see a local
selection of train schedules. The bus takes one hour and a half to get
to Coimbra - you may see the complete bus schedule and a local selection of bus schedules.
If
you are travelling by car from Lisbon or Oporto check here.
TOURISM
- A touristic guide of
Coimbra may be found here. For information on the
central region of Portugal visit here (for portuguese speaking only) and
for information on Portugal visit here.
- Exchange rates
- The weather in Coimbra and in Portugal.
WALKING
AROUND
- 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 goes from 12AM to 3PM and
dinnertime goes from 7PM to 10PM.
- Banks are open 8.30AM
through 3PM, Monday through Friday
- The public bus
service is the least expensive way to move around
the city. You may buy in advance a ten-journey
ticket in most kiosks.
Last updated: January
31st, 2001 by João Soares
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