Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens), Coimbra (must see)

In his career as King's Minister, the Marques de Pombal had to juggle a lot of new projects. One he must have loved was to be the energizing spirit behind the creation of the Botanical Garden of Coimbra. The project was meant to complement nature studies and medicine at the University of Coimbra.

The garden is not small. It covers 32 acres divided into two parts. The first part, located in the highest part of the valley, is the more formal part, laid out in terraces. The lower terrace, The Central Square, is a European garden of the 18th century.

The next terrace is the Order Beds. Plants are cultivated for botany students and for exchange with other gardening institutions. Next come the Greenhouses. Tropical and subtropical plants are carefully tended according to their special needs of humidity and warmth.

The second part of the Botanical Gardens includes a former creek bed with an arboretum. The arboretum features a bamboo forest, shrubbery and rare trees including 51 types of eucalyptus. Fauna also live in the garden. Birds are sheltered in their natural surroundings. There are squirrels as well.

There are monumental statues in the garden. Dating from 1859, one of the oldest iron architecture buildings in Portugal is used for tropical plants including over twenty species of flesh-eating plants. Guided group tours must be booked in advance. No smoking and no flower picking, thanks.