An historic university city through and through

Admittedly, Cambridge had a bit riding against it for me. On the coattails of leaving my friend’s little cottage, I was in a sort of grief that I had to leave her cotswoldsy fantasy life behind. I was also still feeling quite sick. Beyond that, Cambridge in the US is a city I lived in and don’t have particularly fond memories of - so visiting its namesake (and likeness) was something I approached with trepidation.

Despite that, Cambridge thoroughly charmed me. Unlike Oxford, Cambridge preserved its status as mainly a university city through the industrial era, so it still feels like a college town through and through. The downtown cobbled, winding streets are still bustling with local businesses - and the nightlife is a little calmer. The result is a very quaint, idyllic place to stop for a day or two and step into a piece of history.

EXPLORE THE COLLEGES

Like with Oxford, the main point of visiting Cambridge is to visit the university. The colleges of Cambridge aren’t dissimilar from those of Oxford - gothic, medieval, full of spires, expansive courtyards, and pristine gardening. The similarities are the reason the style is sometimes called “Oxbridge,” and it’s one that’s commonly mimicked by American universities, especially Yale. If you’ve already visited Oxford or one of the universities built in the Oxbridge fashion, it will definitely dull the impact of seeing the University of Cambridge.

The colleges are stunning but not so enormous in grandeur or unique in style that any one alone is awe-inspiring. Collectively, though, they have quite an impact. If you go into any one, you’ll get a feel for what the college design concept is - and you can see most of the colleges’ architecture and general landscaping from the outside.

I went into Pembroke and Christ’s College, which were both free and open to visitors. Two of the most common to visit - Trinity (as well as Wren Library within it) and St. John’s were both closed to visitors while I was there. I chose not to pay the entrance fee for the most commonly visited, King’s College (pictured below), because Cambridge was already so thoroughly stretching my budget.

STROLL THE CANALS

If you’ve read anything in this blog, you’ll have figured out I’m always in search of the best park spot to sit and relax. In Cambridge, I believe it to be Laundress Green / Coe Fen which cover beautiful canal views, expansive wild-flowered plains, and roaming cows. The second best I think is the stretch of the canal near Midsummer Common extending to Stourbridge Common - which offers a nice waterfront walk as well as sunset views.

SHOP DOWNTOWN

For me, though, the highlight of Cambridge is just strolling downtown in the gaps between the colleges, especially near Cambridge Market. The winding, cobble-stoned streets are often draped with rows of small triangle flags - and are packed full with local shops and boutiques. The Cambridge Market Square itself boasts delicious food vendors as well as an extensive selection of local arts and crafts - though there are far fewer vendors on the weekdays. It’s how the city bustles between the colleges that differentiates Cambridge from Oxford, in my mind.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

If you spend two or three days in Cambridge, you’ll definitely be looking for things to do beyond the colleges. The most common are:

• Go to the Museums: Luckily, Cambridge boasts some amazing and free to enter museums, including the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Scott Polar Research Institute, the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and the Museum of Zoology.

• Go Punting: Like with Oxford, if you ask a local what to do, you will definitely be told to go punting - boating where you push yourself along with a pole. You can rent a boat or pay someone to push you along at several points throughout the city.

• Spot the Walking Sites: The most common spots to try to see are the Mathematical Bridge and the Corpus Clock. To be honest, I found them underwhelming . . . but I also think it’d be weird to not at least see the Corpus Clock while downtown. If nothing else, it’s a deeply strange clock.

Remember that Cambridge is also an easy day trip from London, so if you want to just take the train up for a day, you can easily bump out the main attractions.