Conímbriga is the one of the largest Roman city’s excavated, as well as being the best preserved, in Portugal and was classified as a National Monument in 1910. It is 16 kilometres from Coimbra and lies within the civil parish of Condeixa-a-Velha and Condeixa-a-Nova.

The Romans arrived here in the 2nd Century A.D., conquering the Celtic inhabitants and establishing a city that grew, flourished, and then fell victim to barbarian invasions until Conimbriga’s residents fled to nearby Coimbra in 468.

The city is a walled urban settlement consisting of various structures such as a forum, basilica and commercial shops, thermal spas, aqueducts, insulae (a kind of apartment building for the ordinary townspeople), homes including beautifully preserved mosaic floors and domus (houses owned by the upper classes and wealthy) such as the Casa dos Repuxos and Casa de Cantaber), in addition to the paleo-Christian basilica.

A visitors’ centre (which includes restaurant/café and gift-shop) was constructed to display objects found by archaeologists during their excavations, including coins, surgical tools, utensils and ceramics.