I must see the library in person.

This is what I told my family when we outlined our travel plans. Those who know me would know my love of books and my dream of having my very own library in my house someday. To be in the same country as the famed Biblioteca Joanina (Joanine Library) and not visit? I wouldn’t miss the opportunity for the world.

So this is how we found ourselves staying for two nights in Coimbra, and I discovered that the riverfront city offers much more than a historical library. For one, we discovered that to drive in Coimbra (and actually in Portugal in general) requires a lot of skill to navigate the narrow roads; add to that the uphill climb, one-way streets up and down the hills, and the bumpy cobblestones — you’re bound to find yourself in some tight spots.

In fact, we got stuck between two buildings, the Old Cathedral of Coimbra and the building next to it, which were so close together that I had to hop out to help my brother navigate the car inch-by-inch with the side mirrors folded in.

While it isn’t hard to cover Coimbra’s Old Town on foot, you will quickly, like me, learn to orient yourself by identifying whether you are at the top of the hill or the bottom of the hill. The University of Coimbra is at the top of the hill, and the Bank of Portugal, pictured above, is close to the bottom of the hill. As with the other cities we’ve covered thus far in Portugal, you need to prepare yourself for the trek. Out of all the places we visited, I can say that Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto are the three cities where we found ourselves clamouring up and down steep cobblestoned roads. While temperatures were much cooler in Porto, Lisbon and Coimbra gave us a beating with their scorching heat.

Here we are at the mid-point of your climb (or is that just our wishful thinking?) up to the University of Coimbra. This view is just after making it up a steep flight of stairs where we had to stop several times to let our more senior members of the travel party take a break. We were blessed with wonderful sunny weather and clear blue skies without a single cloud in sight.

When we finally made it up to the university library, we hopefully went up to the entrance, only to be told that the tickets had to be purchased at a ticket booth that was another 10-minute walk from the entrance! Insider tip: make sure to buy your library tickets online. At the entrance, there is a QR code you can scan to buy online, so make sure you have internet and PayPal ready if you don’t want to walk!

We opted to buy a ticket that gave us access to several spots around the university, including the Science Museum, Royal Palace, chapel, and chemical lab in addition to the Joanine Library. Since the tour is in high demand, the tours are organized with entrance times thirty minutes apart. We made it just in time for the 5PM entry time and were herded into the building along with other visitors. Interestingly, the first room you visit is the prison, and after venturing through the empty rooms, you wait until you’re let into the next ‘compartment’ in the building, which is a smaller library; after this, we were told that we aren’t able to take any photos in Joanina Library, and we only had about ten minutes to see the baroque style library and admire all the ornate and elaborate details of the library, with bookcases reaching from floor to ceiling in the double-height space. Gold detailing against black and burgundy pillars, heavy volumes filling every shelf on the polished wooden bookcases, a ladder on the second floor propped against the bookcase positioned in the sunlight streaming in from the window…it was like a scene out of a fantasy novel; I almost expect someone dressed like Harry Potter to wander out of one of the side doors.

The historic library is just as stunning as I imagined, and I tried to commit every detail to memory through my eyes because this would be exactly how I would want my future library to look. A girl can dream, right?

After standing stock-still in the library and basking in its wondrous glory for the full ten minutes, we exited onto an expansive plaza with a view overlooking the city. In this plaza, you also have the option to climb the clock tower. Those who brave the 180 steps up to the top are rewarded with an amazing view.

There were still a few stops on the tour, so we first explored the Chapel of São Miguel. The marvels of the chapel lie behind a set of nondescript doors, where we had to knock gently and wait for the staff to open. Once you step inside, you are treated to a visual feast. The room's theme is light sea blue and a vibrant sunflower yellow; exquisite gold trim and gilded wood details offer visual stimulation unlike any other. The walls are adorned with traditional tiles featuring beautiful detailing, while the ceiling also showcases a magnificent mural. Sunlight filters into the room, creating natural spotlights to highlight key art pieces.

The next stop after visiting the chapel is to explore the Royal Palace and the Science Museum. The palace was built in the 10th century and served as the residence of the first king of Portugal. Venture through the fine rooms of the palace to see the Armory and Yellow Room, Great Hall of Acts, and Private Exam Room. The Great Hall of Acts once served as the throne room, which is why it’s lined with portraits of past Portuguese Kings. Before exiting the palace, a staircase leads up to a narrow outdoor walkway where one could enjoy sweeping views of the city. If you are afraid of heights, be warned that the walkway only has a thin railing, so it’s not a walk for the faint of heart.

The last stops on the itinerary are the Science Museum and the Cabinet of Curiosities, and we narrowly managed to sneak in for the final entry time before they closed at 6PM. We walked down the slope to find somewhere to snack before a late dinner booking. Making our way down the winding side streets, we came across the Sapientia Boutique Hotel, with a bar and a terrace, where you can take a break with lush greenery and a water feature with a cute turtle meandering within as the backdrop.

We enjoyed a housemade lemonade, chocolate mousse and avocado toast as a midday snack to refuel before we moved on to our dinner plans. We even managed to catch the stunning sunset on the platform at Alta restaurant to wrap up our day.

All in all, our visit to Coimbra was an eventful visit where we were awestruck by the historic architecture, impressed by local drivers navigating the narrow cobblestoned streets with ease, and satisfied by tasty meals easy on our wallets.