Downtown Coimbra

The Baixa of Coimbra

The Baixa is the lower town of Coimbra, a working-class and lively district with paved alleys, at the foot of the old town. The Coimbra audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this beating and lively heart, a historic refuge of the merchants and the craftsmen.

The lower town, refuge of the popular classes

Coimbra is composed of two neighbouring zones with distinct morphology and history: the upper town, the Alta, and the lower town, the Baixa, where you are here. Located away from the walls of the former medieval town, the Baixa was once the refuge of the popular classes, the merchants and the craftsmen, as opposed to the upper town, the domain of the wealthy classes, the intellectuals and the clergy. From the Praça Velha, its beating heart, still abounds a fine cord of paved alleys, narrow and lively. This irresistible district of vitality concentrates a great part of the daily life of Coimbra: its shops, its cafés, its terraces and its markets maintain there a working-class and warm atmosphere. A witness of the social history of the town and a place of authentic life, the Baixa of Coimbra is a must-see stop to feel the pulse of the Portuguese town.

What to see

Here you wander in the lower town of Coimbra, a former refuge of the popular classes, the merchants and the craftsmen, with its cord of paved and narrow alleys that abound from the Praça Velha, its beating heart, in a working-class and lively atmosphere of shops, cafés and terraces. The Baixa is the pulse of Coimbra. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Baixa lies in the lower town of Coimbra, at the foot of the old town, reachable on foot. It is a public district freely accessible; the shops, cafés and markets have their own hours. It is particularly lively during the day.

What is the Baixa of Coimbra?

The lower town of Coimbra, as opposed to the upper town, the Alta; located away from the former medieval walls, it was the refuge of the popular classes, the merchants and the craftsmen, with its lively paved alleys around the Praça Velha.

Where is the Baixa of Coimbra?

In the lower town of Coimbra, at the foot of the old town, in Portugal.