Student life took quite a bit of my early adulthood. 5 years spent in the cultural and academic capital of Poland, Cracow, was definitely one of the most significant periods in my life. What is more, I would not have been able to come to the UK had I not been studying English. No wonder I was very much looking forward to visiting two of the most famous academic cities in England – Oxford & Cambridge.
There is definitely a multitude of things one can do in these cities and countless sights recommended by many ‘top things to see in…’ lists. Very helpful, of course, and I will list the most famous places at the end. If you are in a hurry, though, I give you top 5 things I did, that made my stay. Here we go:
See… one of the colleges from the inside
Here comes the Harry Potter experience, aaaall the way. Especially in Oxford. New College or Christ Church are the places where the movies were filmed so if you are a fan, as soon as you get off the train you will run there. I would recommend doing it with a tour guide. There are absolutely plenty of tours out there, taking you around the cities. You can get a ‘plain’ tour, ghost tour or even a dedicated Harry Potter one!
Go… punting!
Oh, don’t you miss out on that, especially in Cambridge. Seeing all the colleges ‘from behind’, going under famous bridges and admiring the architecture… Defo a must-do! At times your mind goes away imagining that you are in Venice. Luckily, people falling down from the boats make you wake up and sounds of laughter bring you back on Earth. Yes, you can hire a boat and try to navigate it yourself. So much fun to be had!
Wake up… early!
Wander through the city early in the morning when there is no one around can be named as my favourite activity wherever I go. Having an early cup of coffee, especially with a unique view of Cambridge is just something else. There is just something about this city that makes you feel so special. Sinking in the academic atmosphere and old architecture with hardly anyone around is what I will remember the most.
Visit… the castle!
It was not exactly an obvious thing for me that I will be visiting a castle in Oxford but yet it is there, and the visit was quite an interesting one. The tour guides tell the story of the prison in a gripping way and the exhibition was not once boring for me. Plus, there is a mound from which you can see the city so by all means get your bum up there when you are around.
Aaaand…
The thing I did not manage to do (due to a temporary closure) but wholeheartedly recommend – climb the tower of Great St. Mary’s Church and see the views of Cambridge from above. The best viewpoint in the whole Cambridge. Nothing else to add.
Altogether I spent the whole week in these cities. I must say, it did wake up a longing for the past time spent in Cracow. But only for a short moment. After all, all things in life come to an end which is a good thing, as the new ones come along. If you were to assume which city I liked more, you’d probably say: Cambridge, judging just by the number and the quality (I personally think they are slightly better) of the pictures. This may be because it was my third visit to Oxford and I practically knew most of the places already so there was not as much of an awe as with the previous two times. Anyway, I might surprise you, much as Cambridge is a very lovely city, I am utterly in love with Oxford and if I were to study somewhere again, I would like it to be nowhere else than Oxford.
Practical tips:
- To get to Oxford you need to take a train from London (GWR, about an hour, around £30 return). Cambridge is a bit further away. It will take you about an hour and a half to get there from London. The prices range between £20 and £30.
- Some of the top things to see in Oxford and Cambridge with prices:
- More on: Visit Oxford and Cambridge Tourist Information
Dreamcatcher - Blog about life, travelling and catching dreams in the United Kingdom 