
Coimbra
Portugal
Cascading down the banks of the Mondego River, Coimbra is a scenic city filled with a mishmash of architectural influences: Romanesque monasteries, baroque libraries and Moorish cathedrals sit side-by-side. At its core is Portugal's oldest and most prestigious university, a huge sugar-cube structure perched on a hill with an imposing 17th-century bell tower that crowns the city. More than just a historical checkpoint famed for its relics, Coimbra has a lively student population that ensures there's always an electric energy running through its veins - visitors will find it in the streets serenaded by the sounds of fado singers and in bars that line the riverbanks. Look out for the political graffiti scrawled across the walls.