Travel
Discover Cambridge It’s best known for its esteemed university, but Cambridge is also the crown jewel of UK city breaks. If centuries of history, exquisite architecture, tranquil manicured gardens and beers by the riverside all sound like your type of holiday, the university town of Cambridge could be the perfect base. Not sure where to begin? Here’s a small snapshot of the top sights and experiences: Go punting - They say the best way to experience a city is to live like the locals do. Luckily, Cambridge’s favourite pastime is also one of the best ways to see the city. Relax, soak up the views and watch some of Cambridge’s most famous sights sail by, including the Bridge of Sighs, Kings College Chapel and the Mathematical Bridge. You can steer the boat yourself or simply sit back and let the guides do all the hard work. Take a university tour - Visiting Cambridge without seeing its ancient university buildings is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. After all, dating back to 1209, Cambridge University is the second oldest English-speaking university in the world. Book a guided tour around Clare, Trinity, Christ’s and King’s Colleges, where Stephen Hawking, David Attenborough, Charles Darwin and Alan Turing once studied. Admire exquisite chapels and libraries, and marvel at the colleges’ perfectly groomed grounds. It’s impossible not to be in awe of the sheer academic excellence soaked into every inch of the university’s walls. Visit some museums - If all that academic brilliance
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is making you want to learn a thing or two, you’re in luck; Cambridge is full of fantastic museums. Trinkets and treasures from all corners of the globe are at the Fitzwilliam Museum or get a taste for polar adventures at the Scott Polar Research Institute Museum. Then there’s the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, where almost two million rocks and fossils will transport you through 4.5 billion years of history. Drink and dine in style - Cambridge has no shortage of lovely pubs, restaurants and bars to sample. Serious foodies should book a table at the Michelinstarred Midsummer House, or for lighter fare, head out of town slightly to The Orchard Tea Garden. These tearooms are known for having the best cream teas around. The Green Man is the place to go for pub grub and a pint, and the Pint Shop is also worth checking out; its Grade II-listed building was once home to EM Forster, but now houses a long list of beers from breweries all over the country. Rent a bike to see the sights - In Cambridge, everyone cycles everywhere. Dodging bookbalancing students on bicycles is part of what makes the city so charming, but it is a great way for tourists to explore the city too. Swing by the Corpus Clock before meandering slowly through Cambridge’s Botanical Gardens. Stop off at Market Square to pick up a souvenir and satisfy your inner bookworm at Heffers bookshop. You’ll soon fall in love with how easy it is to explore this city on two wheels.
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