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You can watch fado at various clubs, or you may stumble upon roving bands of students, dressed in their signature black capes and serenading around town for tips -- and the hearts of women. Whether you're on the street or in a club, listening to this unique, mournful music, performed in its unique Coimbra style, feels like just the right way to end a day in this distinctive city.

IF YOU VISIT...

SLEEPING: A 10-minute walk from the Coimbra charm, Hotel Tivoli offers contemporary luxury, big rooms, and modern amenities (splurge, www.tivolicoimbra.com). Hotel Braganca's clean and comfortable rooms feature decor that transports you back to 1950s Portugal (moderate, www.hotel-braganca.com).

EATING: Pick up a cheap, self-service meal at Restaurante Jardim da Manga, then eat either indoors or out next to a cool and peaceful fountain (in the garden behind Church of Santa Cruz, www.jardimdamanga.net). There's usually a line of people waiting hungrily for Restaurante Ze Manel dos Ossos, a tiny, rustic, authentic restaurant serving up a dozen good, typical Coimbran dishes (Beco do Forno 12, tel. 239-823-790).

GETTING AROUND: Most of Coimbra's core can be explored on foot. For travelers tired of climbing up and down hills, taxis are cheap and the cute little electric minibus -- nicknamed "pantufinhas" (or "grandma's slipper") -- shuttles between the lower and upper town.

TOURIST INFORMATION: www.turismodocentro.pt.

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Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)

(c)2015 RICK STEVES DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.