The city of Cambridge is rather overshadowed by its world famous university and the campus dominates the centre. Cambridge itself is rather small and is designated as a city due to its cathedral.
Therefore the main landmarks in Cambridge are all university related – the Cambridge University Library and King’s College Chapel. Of course the presence of so many brilliant minds has also stimulated the economy of Cambridge and it is known for having the silicon fen, which is the English version of Silicon Valley.
Cambridge Mini Guide
The main theatre in Cambridge is the Arts Theatre and productions are put on by local companies and touring shows, Cambridge also boast many amateur theatre groups that perform regularly throughout the city. There are many interesting places to explore outside the city boundary and the market town of Ely, with its superb Cathedral and the Newmarket races are only a short drive away and within easy reach if you hire a car in Cambridge.
One of the best ways to get a view of how beautiful the city is involves climbing Kings College Chapel where you will see spread out below you many parks, as well as students cycling to lectures and people taking a leisurely punt (small boat) down the river.
The university was founded by monks in the 13th century because they found Oxford too stressful a place to study, and that, as they say, is history. Since then Cambridge has churned out more Nobel Prize winners than anywhere else in the world. Cambridge is most famous for producing great scientists and it can count among its alumni Sir Isaac Newton and professor Stephen Hawking. As well as of course the legendary Crick and Watson, who discovered DNA, went to Cambridge. It is interesting to note that the founders of America’s top Ivy League college – Harvard – were educated at Cambridge.
Cambridge is located 50 miles north of London and London Stansted airport, where you can rent a Rhino hire car, is the most convenient airport. London Luton airport is also quite close and with major low cost airlines easyJet and Ryanair flying into these terminals you can get to Cambridge from many world wide locations.
If you can only find flights to Heathrow it will take you just over an hour to get to Cambridge but try to avoid flying to Gatwick as this is more than three hours away. From London you want to take the M11 which then joins the A10. If you are driving to Cambridge from the north you will arrive via the A1 and the A14.
Coming into Cambridge you are advised to take advantage of the park and ride facilities to avoid getting stuck in traffic or spending a long time trying to find a parking spot. It is easy and pleasurable to stroll around the city on foot and you can also hire a bike should you wish.
You would do well to see as many of the colleges as possible while you are there as they represent some of the finest architecture in England. These include Trinity College, King’s College and Queens’ College.
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