Student Traditions of Coimbra

The student traditions of Coimbra

The student traditions make the fame of Coimbra as much as its university, with their famous costume and their ancestral rituals. The Coimbra audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this living heritage, maintained with care by generations of students.

The black costume and the ancestral rituals

If the University of Coimbra enjoys a borderless reputation, it is due to its image of citadel of knowledge, but not only. Shared, applied and maintained with care by many of its students, past and present, the ancestral traditions of the institution contribute largely to the fame of the place. The most visible is the traditional costume worn by the students: a dark outfit, including a long black cape, become a true symbol of the town and of academic life. Throughout the year, these traditions punctuate the life of Coimbra through rituals, ceremonies and festivities, of which the most famous, the Queima das Fitas, marks the end of the university year with great festivities. The fado of Coimbra, sung by the students, is also part of this heritage. Living and deeply rooted, the student traditions are the soul of Coimbra.

What to see

Here you discover the student traditions that make the fame of Coimbra, starting with the dark traditional costume and its long black cape, become a symbol of the town, as well as the rituals, ceremonies and festivities like the Queima das Fitas, and the fado of Coimbra sung by the students. The student traditions are the soul of Coimbra. It is a stop to be discovered, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The student traditions are experienced throughout the town of Coimbra, in particular around the university and in the old town, reachable on foot. You come across them during the walk, notably the students in costume; the great festivities, like the Queima das Fitas, take place at precise dates of the university year, generally in spring.

What is the traditional costume of the students of Coimbra?

A dark outfit including a long black cape, become a true symbol of the town and of academic life; this costume is part of the ancestral traditions of the university, maintained by generations of students.

Where to experience the student traditions in Coimbra?

Around the university and in the old town of Coimbra, in Portugal.