Walk Coimbra from the river to the university
Coimbra climbs from the Mondego river to one of the oldest universities in the world, through a tangle of stairs and lanes. FOG covers the map until you walk it, and Coimbra's slopes reward every step.
Lower town to upper town
The Baixa, the lower town by the river, has shopping streets such as the Rua Ferreira Borges and the monastery of Santa Cruz on its square. From the Baixa, the Arco de Almedina leads into the upper town, the Alta.
The climb continues by the Quebra-Costas, a stepped street whose name means back-breaker, past the Se Velha, the fortress-like old cathedral, toward the top of the hill.
The university and the river
The University of Coimbra occupies the top of the hill, around a courtyard with a view over the river. Its Joanina library is a baroque masterpiece. Next to the university, the Jardim Botanico descends the slope in terraces.
Down by the Mondego, the Parque Verde runs along the bank, and a footbridge crosses to the other side, near the monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha and the children's park of Portugal dos Pequenitos. Walking along both banks closes a long loop.
Steep and stony
Coimbra is steep, with plenty of stairs and cobbles in the upper town. Good shoes help.
Summers are warm and winters mild and rainy. The city is lively with students during term.
The character who walks with you
FOG puts a small explorer called Wander on your position. Pick one of five paths (two are free, three come with FOG Unlimited) and every two levels on a path hands you a new piece of gear, earned only by the ground you cover. Twenty five pieces in all, and none of them can be bought.
Under the character it is a plain, permanent record: every street you walk in Coimbra is cleared and stays clear, the app works in the background, and the map is stored only on your phone with no account and no cloud. You can export it as GPX at any time.
Questions people actually ask
Is Coimbra hilly?
Yes. The upper town and the university sit on a steep hill above the river.
What is the Joanina library?
The baroque library of the University of Coimbra, from the eighteenth century.
Does it work with the app closed?
Yes. With background exploring on, FOG keeps clearing fog while the app is closed and the screen is off.
Start with a dark map.
FOG is free to explore. No account, no subscription, and your map never leaves your phone.
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