Inhabited in Neolithic times, then by the Celts, and finally the Romans, Conimbriga is Portugal’s largest and most significant Roman site. It lies 15 kilometres south of Coimbra in a rural setting of olive trees and woods – altogether a rewarding excursion.

Conimbriga’s fine museum, built in pseudo-Roman style, offers a good introduction to the archaeological site. Look closely at the scale model of the forum in order to project this onto the ruins you will visit. Sculptures, mosaics, and fragments of stucco and wall paintings present a clear picture of what life was like in this prosperous, far westerly outpost of the Roman Empire.

The site is large enough to demand water and a hat if you are visiting on a hot summer’s day. A route past the most significant sections and superb mosaic floors is well marked, and you can clearly see a stretch of the Roman road to Braga. At the front, a large canopy shelters an area of fountains and water channels, while just outside the wall stand the crumbling remains of the house of Cantaber, the largest in Conimbriga.