Cambridge
The Great University Town Of The Fens, With King'S College Chapel And Its Choir, The Backs Along The Cam, The Mathematical Bridge And Punting On The River. The University Was Founded In 1209 By Scholars Leaving Oxford. Colleges Charge For Entry Or Close For Exams, And The Town Centre Is Crowded With Day Trippers From London · Cambridge, England
Cambridge is a university town on the River Cam about 90 km north of London, home to a university founded in 1209 by scholars who left Oxford. The old centre is a tight cluster of stone colleges, lanes and bridges, best seen on foot or by bike. The star is King's College Chapel, with its huge fan-vaulted ceiling and a boys' choir that sings evensong most days in term. Behind the colleges the Backs, a string of lawns and willows along the river, give the classic view, and punting past them is the popular way to see it. Many colleges charge entry or close to visitors in exam term, roughly April to June, so the famous courts may be shut when you arrive. The Fitzwilliam Museum is free and excellent. The centre is small and gets very crowded with London day-trippers, especially in summer, and the cheap-looking punt touts are not cheap. Go early on a weekday or stay overnight to see it calm and enjoy it properly.
Cambridge city centre around King's Parade, the Backs and the River Cam, about 90 km north of London, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
The town itself is open all day, every day, and walking the streets, the Backs footpaths and Parker's Piece is FREE. Colleges keep their own hours, commonly mid-morning to late afternoon, and several are CLOSED to visitors during exams, roughly April to June, and on graduation days and for private events; some also close at Christmas. King's College Chapel is closed to sightseers during services and some Saturday and Sunday hours - confirm before going. Evensong is commonly late afternoon and free to attend, but not on every day of the year, and there are breaks between terms. The Fitzwilliam Museum is FREE and usually closed on Mondays. Punting companies run daily from morning until early evening, with fewer trips in winter and bad weather. Confirm all times close to your date.