Portugal: Coimbra
Coimbra is one of the oldest towns in Portugal, founded by the Romans as Aemenium. It was the capital of the country in the 12th century when a one of the first universities in the world was established here (the first in the Portuguese speaking world). The town lies on a steep hill with all the streets twisting up to the top with surreally perched buildings and narrow streets arranged seemingly without any rhyme or reason. A lot of steep climbing takes you to the top where the University stands on a plateau. Coimbra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
