01/03/2020
Portugal
participants
Full of culture, music, steep hills and cobbled streets, Lisbon is a city bursting with history and excitement. As such, the main of this activity was to bring the international students in Coimbra to this city and to experience its culture.
On the first day, participants boarded a bus to Mafra, a village close to Lisbon, where they visited the Palácio de Mafra. This stunning 18th century palace and convent features one of the world's most beautiful libraries, and its construction was the historical background behind of one of José Saramago's novels. After a guided tour, everyone had lunch nearby and then headed to Lisbon.
Upon arrival in Lisbon, the group met volunteers from ESN Lisbon, who kindly gave everyone a guided tour around the historical city centre. This was followed by a group dinner at a traditional Lisbon restaurant.
The following day, the group visited Belém, where they were free to explore monuments such as the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the famous Tower of Belém. Many also had the opportunity to queue for the world famous pastéis de Belém, a must-try delicacy only found in this area. By the end of the day, everyone boarded the bus back to Coimbra.
The participants thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Many praised the mix between free time to explore the city by themselves and the guided tours, in which they learned about the city's history and culture. By the end of the trip, many expressed they wanted to go back and explore the city even more, as well as its multicultural neighbourhoods.