Machado de Castro National Museum

It’s easy to pass by without a second thought, but don’t be fooled. The Machado de Castro National Museum is one of Portugal’s most important cultural institutions. Since 1913, it’s been housed in the former episcopal palace, showcasing vast collections of antiquities recovered from monasteries, convents, and churches after the confiscation of ecclesiastical property. Among its must-see highlights is a sculpture collection unlike any other in Portugal. The museum also houses the Treasure of Queen Saint Isabel, a gift from Isabella of Aragon, as well as the remarkable cryptoporticus, a Roman underground maze dating from the 1st century AD. Named after Joaquim Machado de Castro, one of Portugal’s most influential sculptors, the museum is also home to a 15th-century courtyard, offering a panoramic view over Coimbra. Sometimes it’s the places we barely notice that hold the biggest surprises.