What a spectacular place and a must if you are in town and you like history and beauty. Perched…read morehigh above the city, Universidade de Coimbra brings its "A game" with views, architecture, and of course, history. Make sure to get a ticket to see the library, royal palace, chapel and so much more. We were in a hurry so we zipped on through but this could take your whole day! Accessibility might be a slight challenge because the properties are so old but the good news is the ticket sales online have an accessible ticket option. Make sure to inquire rather than forgo if you have uncertainty! Tip: look up some history before you go, you will be even more in awe with some of the fun facts! One example: did you know there is a colony of bats in the library?! Go look up why. So amazing!

We were visiting this university as tourists. We ate in the cafeteria area of the Law building,…read moreand were told we could use our receipt to use the restroom, rather than pay .50 Euros. My friend and I were told to go down stairs through double doors marked "No Entry" to use the restroom, vs. the Women's restroom which was in the hall just outside the cafeteria. We then did some touring of the grounds, and before we left decided to use the restroom again. We went to the lower level where we had gone before, only to have a man come running and screaming after us. We were in the restroom stalls by then. He stood outside my stall, pounding on it and screaming that we shouldn't be there. He asked if we were students, and I said no. He continued to scream as my friend left her stall. I washed hands as he screamed at her that this restroom was for students. It was a very frightening and disturbing scenario to have a man follow us into the Women's restroom. My friend tried to explain that a woman sitting outside the upper restroom directed us to go through those doors. He continued to scream at her. Regardless of what the mixup was, this is no way to treat people, and he had no business entering our space and pound on the stall I was in. He needs to be severely disciplined for his actions. I will gladly provide more details if needed. This incident occurred on 5-26-25 between the time of 1-3 pm. I feel the need to document this employee's horrible behavior. I did not feel safe in a space that was meant for women only.

My husband and I came across this library as we were looking for a place to print out boarding…read morepasses. The staff was extremely helpful in explaining how to use their printing/computer system. You get a temporary library card (small ticket) with a number on it and then you can go use any of their computers. There are a number of computers throughout the library. We used one in a row across from the lower level help desk. The computers were older, so they were a bit slow, but they worked and the area was clean. When you want to print something, you figure out how many pages it will be, hit print and then go to the desk to pay. The prints are 7 cents/page. The staff then releases your print outs. Having a temporary card, you may need to enter another number (that the staff provides you with) before your printing is released. Beyond the printing, the library housed an art exhibit that was nice to explore. There are a number of tables for people to use and of course a good number of books.

Beautiful University in Porto. This one located right at Carmo church plaza, not far from Lello…read morelibrary. I could go in only ground floor. Christmas tree was decorated and book store was at the end of the floor. Beautiful!

Universidade do Porto in Porto is an impressive and beautiful university and campus. This is one of…read morethose campuses and schools that makes you wish that you went to school there. I had a really good time being here and interacting with the university. This is an awesome school that has much to offer and it is fun.

Some people find this a magical place that they are convinced inspired J.K. Rowling to create her…read morevision of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. Others see it as the overcrowded, moneymaking result of its own publicity. Given Jamie W and I had to pay 12€ per person in advance to enter, I lean a bit more to the second camp, even though we appreciated the ornate combination of Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau architecture, especially the stylized, curving red staircase in the middle (Photo 6). The staff credits the payment against a potential book purchase, but make sure you know what you want beforehand because casual browsing was nearly impossible given the streaming masses taking selfies. The bookstore dates back to 1906 but didn't become a heavy tourist magnet until the Harry Potter phenomenon exploded. Ironically, Rowling never took inspiration from this shop as she admitted not being aware of the bookstore while living as an English teacher in Porto in the early 1990's. If you can shift your perception of the space from a bookstore to the pure tourist attraction it has become, you may feel more satisfaction with a visit. As Instagrammable as it is, Jamie and I spent a mere fifteen minutes here. We were overcome by the swarms pouring in, even though the staff made a valiant effort in controlling the number of people at any given time. I really don't mean to discourage you from visiting. Just dial down your expectations of wizardry accordingly. RELATED - Exploring Porto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/N4i04zdRK2

A not so magical overcrowded bookstore…read more Livraria Lello is one of Porto's most popular stops, renowned for its stunning bookstore interior. Its double spiral staircase is promoted as an inspiration for Harry Potter despite JK Rowling denying ever having set foot while living in Porto. From afar, we were met with huge lineups outside the stained glass exterior. Once inside, it was overcrowded with many tourists roaming about. The decor features wood carvings, stained glass, and an iconic red spiral staircase right in the center. If you're the first one visiting at 9am, it might be a beautiful experience. But for everyone else it's congested and claustrophobic while squeezing wall-to-wall like a tourist trap. There are too many tourists scheduled for each entry time. Staff were nice enough to allow our entry at 10:30, despite coming an hour after our scheduled entry time due to jet lag. Another saving grace is the €12 silver entry fee can actually be used as credit towards book purchases. There were books of many languages on the second floor while a number of classic novels were available. For €15, we picked up Great Gatsby with edge gilding from this so-called most beautiful bookstore in the world. That's great value as we paid only an extra €3 for the book. Skip it or hit it? With overcrowding, I recommend to skip unless you manage to reserve the 9am slot or visit in the offseason.

A place to visit for the art lovers passing by Porto. Great DA in a very impressive building…read more Unfortunately I didn't visited the garden as it asked to pay for an extra ticket. Don't expect much from the library. Classic art books but nothing more On sunday morning the museum is free for everyone