It’s Christmas time! December is finally here and it’s time to celebrate Santa’s arrival and experience the best Portuguese traditions. If Portugal and our customs are still a novelty to you, get ready for a huge amount of enthusiasm and joy! And don’t worry if you haven’t bought your Christmas presents yet because Coimbra’s historicl center is the perfect place to find the most original and unforgettable gifts. In addition to buying unique products, you can also support the local merchants! Read our report to find out more.
Presents, food, music and traditional in the centre of Coimbra.
Have you had a glimpse of the Christmas lights that brighten the historical center? It is one of the things that make Coimbra even more special and memorable during the Christmas season. Still, this year there is a lot more to discover and enjoy!
Now that Santa Claus has come to town, it’s time to get amazed by the unique products available in the heart of Coimbra and choose the perfect presents for family and friends. It’s easy to dazzle anyone with a local craft piece or one of the many delicacies produced in Coimbra. Stores such as Casa dos Linhos, Encanto da Freiria and Coisas e Sabores are authentic treasure chests!
However, if your Christmas is not about the gifts or if you’ve already bought all the presents before visiting Coimbra, you can devote part of your time to enjoy some of the Christmas activities that the city has to offer. We start by highlighting the Christmas crib put together by the Fire Brigade of Coimbra (Bombeiros Sapadores de Coimbra), at the Casa Municipal de Proteção Civil, which will be open to the public until January 6th.
On December 12th, the city center will host a Fair Urban Crafts between 10am and 5.30pm. On the same day, music will spread around town with Jazz Quintets from the Coimbra Conservatory of Music, and the Christmas Song Cycle by the Quantunna, one of the University’s traditional groups, for example. At 9:30pm it’s time to hear the Classical Orchestra of the Centre and its Christmas concert at the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova.
The good news is that some of these activities are going to be repeated throughout December until the end of the year. You can see the full schedule here.
Map and Directions
Contacts
