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Santa Cruz Monastery

Santa Cruz Monastery: Our most recommended tours and activities

Coimbra: Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour

1. Coimbra: Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Walking Tour

Get to know Coimbra at your own pace on this interactive scavenger hunt walking tour. You'll explore the city on foot and get points for solving different types of tasks: Find sights: You will use hints to find the best sights and hidden gems throughout the city. The map function in the app will help you get there. Solve questions: Once you’ve arrived at the place you’re looking for, you’ll be asked questions about the sight. Most of the time, the answers are hidden in signs, pictures, etc. A great and fun way to learn new things about the city. Have fun: During the adventure you can also expect exciting photo tasks that require a lot of creativity. If you master the snapshots, you will be rewarded with points. Along the way, you’ll reach amazing places like the “Mango Garden”, “Monastery of Santa Cruz”, “School Palace” and many more! After you book the game, you’ll get a game code via email with instructions on how to play. Head to the “Jardim da Manga" and use the code to unlock the game in the app. The tour ends at the “Jardim da Sereia". The experience is not limited in time. You can explore the city at your own pace and take breaks. Just download the Explorial-App, go to the starting point, and you’re ready to start with the game. The tour lasts on average about 1-2 hours.

From Lisbon: Private Tour to Coimbra with Drop-off in Porto

2. From Lisbon: Private Tour to Coimbra with Drop-off in Porto

Avoid the stress of traveling by public transport or a shared tour and choose the comfort and safety in the company of your private guide who will pick you up at your hotel in a comfortable vehicle with the Clean & Safe Seal guarantee. Travel time from Lisbon to Coimbra is approximately 2h. 204 km from Lisbon you will find Coimbra, the first capital of the kingdom, in the time of our first monarchs, for almost two centuries, it gained new prominence with the foundation of the University in 1290, which provided the formation of an urban core full of remarkable buildings. Visit Coimbra, an old, effervescent city that has a young population with a lot to teach and show us. You will start the visit to Coimbra at the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Paço das Escolas. With 730 years of history, the University of Coimbra is an unavoidable institution in the history of Portugal and the entire Portuguese-speaking world, having been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, due to its unique material and immaterial heritage, fundamental in the history of Portugal. European and world scientific culture. While leaving the University, you will follow towards Sé Velha de Coimbra (Old Cathedral of Coimbra) and visit the interior. You will find the Praça 8 de Maio where you find the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra (visit the interior), National Pantheon and one of the oldest monuments of Coimbra, founded in 1131. In this Monastery are buried the first two kings of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques and his son, D. Sancho I. The Monastery of Santa-Clara-a-Velha (visit the interior), founded in 1283, by a noble lady, D. Mor Dias, and delivered to the Poor Clares shortly after. Later it was refounded by Queen Isabel of Aragon, the Holy Queen who, when she became a widow, wore the Poor Clare's' habit. Did you know that ... • the Santa-Clara-a-Velha Monastery suffered several floods caused by the Mondego River? • it was in the Paço of the Santa-Clara-a-Velha Monastery that D. Inês de Castro lived and, later, in 1355, was executed following the order of King D. Afonso IV, father of D. Pedro I of Portugal, future king of Portugal and D. Inês de Castros lover. The story doesn't end here! Find out more through our guide's testimony about Pedro and Inês on the spot? Now, it's time to go to Porto! You will arrive at your destination carrying the stories you heard through the testimony of your guide, the good mood you felt from the contact of the people from each location you visited and the emotions experienced during this wonderful day that was intended to be just a travel trip but became an unforgettable experience. The duration of the trip is about 1h30. NOTE: Not included are the entrance tickets to the monuments you will visit from the inside: The Monastery of Santa-Clara-a-Velha and Old Cathedral of Coimbra. Entrance is free: The Monastery of Santa Cruz and Patio das Escolas

From Lisbon: Private Tour to Coimbra

3. From Lisbon: Private Tour to Coimbra

Coimbra was the first capital of the kingdom of Portugal for almost two centuries. It gained new status with the foundation of the University. Visiting Coimbra is like travelling back to the past, while admiring the joys of the present. You will begin by visiting the University of Coimbra, a World Heritage Site. Visit the Paço das Escolas, where you will find the Joanina Library, the São Miguel Chapel, the The Capelos Room, the Medieval and Academic Prison, the Arms Room, the Private Exam Room, and the University Tower. Leaving the University, you head to discover the Sé Velha, from its historic center with its medieval alleys and steps, up until the Santa Cruz Monastery, where the first two kings of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques and his son, D. Sancho I, are buried. Known as 'City of Black Cloaks', Coimbra is known for an infamous legend of love and punishment, the tragic love story of King, D. Pedro I and the queens maid, D. Inês de Castro. There are many attractions in Coimbra, such as the Santa Clara-a-Velha Monastery, founded in 1283, by a lady of the nobility, D. Mor Dias, and delivered to the Poor Clares shortly afterwards. It was in the Palace of the Monastery that D. Inês de Castro lived and later, in 1355, was executed. On the left bank of the Mondego River, you will find the Portugal dos Pequenitos theme park, which is divided into three themed spaces.

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Other Sightseeing Options in Santa Cruz Monastery

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What people are saying about Santa Cruz Monastery

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 30 reviews

Very easy to use application. Some questions allow you to point out details and reveal others. It's good. When the answers are wrong, explanations are sometimes missing. We did not understand where were the 13 ponds of the garden of the mangoes for example. The calculation questions are less interesting. Little interest in exploring the city. You must have a large phone otherwise the details on the photos presented are not very visible. The application does not go full screen on a tablet. Similarly, it would be nice if we could review the questions (Back button). It's a little frustrating not being able to review the descriptions.

Very exciting tour with interesting questions and information about the city and sights. The questions are not very complicated. I made the Tour alone and had no problems with the Quiz or to find the right places. A great alternative to a guided tour of the city.

This little town by the river is such a gem! I was in the middle of my Portuguese Tour when I found this place. Smartphone, Internet, and I can explore it on my own the way I want too. Thanks Explorial.

I'm glad to have found this walking tour app on the internet. I love the fact that you can explore the city by yourself without none of the tourists groups and guides surrounding you. Great!

Es hat wirklich Spass gemacht und war gut verständlich.