Our stay in this B&B in the old town was great: Anja gave us a choice of rooms, and we opted for the one at the top of the house, with the view over the town from the bathroom. Her town map and advice were very welcome as our stay in Coimbra was short, and the breakfast was great, very varied. Great value.

This bed and breakfast has nine rooms and is located off the beaten track on a small side stree very close to the university.

We took a taxi from the bus station to the house, and it cost 6 Euros. There is a steep hill leading to the inn, and you will be walking over cobblestone streets.

We stayed in room 5 which has one double bed (could use a new mattress and new pillows) and fronts the street. Our friend stayed in room 6 which has two twin beds and a nice view across the city. Both rooms had sinks in the room, and they shared a common bathroom. Our rate was 45 Euros per night for the two of us, and this included breakfast.

The innkeeper was friendly, welcoming, and took the time to recommend sites and a restaurant to us.

If you want a modern hotel, this is not the place for you. If, however, you want to be immersed in the neighborhood and if you see charm in unique, old houses, you will be just fine.

There was no air conditioner in our room, and we were in town during an uncharacteristic October heat wave. However, it cooled off at night, and with the window and door open we had a very nice cross breeze. It was noisy at night both because of construction taking place across the street and because of students walking by; however, for the most part that just added to the charm. With the window closed it was very quiet.

We had troubles with the free wireless internet connection, but there was a computer available for public use, and it was complimentary.

We would consider staying here again because the host was so nice, and we also enjoyed the breakfast buffet; however, we might also decide to stay a little closer to town.

It's worth staying at the Casa Pombal to encounter her charming welcome, sound advice, and excellent breakfast. We left something important behind, and she ingeniously tracked us down and sent it on to us at a later stop. The Casa Pombal is unapologetically a budget lodging: steep stairs, small rooms, bad lighting, thin pillows. But the views are spectacular and the location in the old city puts you right in the middle of old Coimbra. Just be prepared to hike home if you're out after the elevator stops running.

We followed Casa Pombal's advice and took a taxi from the bus station - it was well worth the 5 euros. It is a very steep climb; after the first day we took the elevator which takes you from the market area to the corner just down the street from Casa Pombal - this allowed us to save our energy for the sights of Coimbra. The elevator does not always run, and the office to buy tickets for the elevator is down near the market and it is not always open - Anja at the Casa Pombal had some tickets that she sold to us, which was very convenient. She had some very definite opinions about restaurants (e.g. "Yuk, don't go there!), and was very helpful with other suggestions about things to do and see in Coimbra. Breakfast was great. We booked a room (3 nights) on the 3rd floor with a great view and private bath. We found Casa Pombal to be very good value and enjoyed our stay.