The restored city of Conimbriga lies about 16 kilometers south of Coimbra. It harbors ancient tiled mosaics, Roman homes, the baths and other items of interest. It’s a good idea to take a sack lunch and spend the day.
When the Romans trekked into the area around 1 A.D., they discovered Celts already ensconced in the area. The barbarians then showed up to take the Romans down. In spite of the defensive wall the Romans threw up in the middle of town, the Swabian barbarians were kings of the mountain by 468.
We loved to visit Conimbriga when we lived in Portugal. It was magical walking on those beautiful mosaics that were so carefully crafted all of those years ago. We seldom passed Coimbra (site of near Portugal’s oldest university) without looking for what progress the archaeologists had made since the last visit.
The archaeologists have continued to uncover the secrets of Conimbriga, and due to modern technology, you can see the progress they have made yourself. You will find a 360 degree surround look at the excavation site. When you see the depth and width of it, remember that it is only about 10 to 20 percent of what the archaeologists believe is underground.
Click here to see Conimbriga. You can start, stop and adjust the size of the photos. Tell me what you think!
The Portugal Years 