Coimbra is best known for its hilltop university and its famous fado,
or folksongs. The university has been around for over 700 years, and Coimbra’s mournful
fado, whose distinct northern brand is usually sung by men, sounds something like a
musical embodiment of Death, but in the most beautiful way possible. The different zones
of the city have very different feels, and this variation can even be discerned from one
hilly, ancient street to the next. Unlike many cities, which are at their liveliest in the
summer months, Coimbra is at its most vibrant during the school year when the students run
wild.