Cambridge, like Oxford its traditional rival, grew out of an association of scholars who settled in one place and founded the colleges. According to tradition, Cambridge - Britain's second oldest University - was founded in 1209 when a group of scholars fled Oxford after a disagreement with local townspeople.
Smaller and less urban than Oxford, Cambridge is, nevertheless, a lively place full of fascinating museums and galleries, theatres, an improving restaurant scene and pubs.
The colleges themselves, which together have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any university in the world, are masterpieces of Medieval, Tudor and Jacobean architecture. Among the standouts open to visitors, Kings College Chapel, with its soaring thistle vaulted ceiling, is a must.
From April to September, Cambridge can be packed with tourists who arrive on buses, stay a few hours and skedaddle. But train services from London are frequent and journey times relatively short so it's a shame not to linger a bit longer to explore some of the lovely gardens along the Backs (where Cambridge colleges back up onto the River Cam). Because of the crowds, many of the colleges now charge an entry fee to visit their grounds and limit opening hours.
Taking a Punt at a Punt
Punts are the traditional, flat boats propelled along the Cam and Granchester rivers with poles. The punter stands and pushes the pole into the mud. It's not as easy as it looks and more than one beginner has either lost a pole or been left clinging to one as the punt floats on. Nowadays, visitors can hire a chauffeured punt (the chauffeur will probably be a student) for a guided cruise along the Backs. It's lazy but can be fun.
- Find out more about visiting Cambridge
- The Cambridge Folk Festival
- Christmas Eve at Kings
- Find a Cambridge Hotel and Get a Great Rate
One of Cambridge's shortcomings is a dearth of really nice hotels near the center. One of the most interesting, however, is The Moller Centre, part of Churchill College. It's a conference center at heart but anyone can stay in business class luxury at budget prices in this architecturally unusual place. See what visitors have said about it.
