UK: Cambridge

Cambridge is an old English town, county seat of Cambridgeshire and located approx. 80 Km from London (it’s possible to travel by train and come back on the same day). It lies on the banks of the river Cam and since the Middle Ages plays an important role in the town's economy.

With the colleges covered with vegetation and lined up along the river, the green lawns and its architecture, Cambridge is an extremely beautiful town, which tourism has known how to seize quite well. The River Cam is packed with tourists punting and enjoying the bucolic landscape. You can even hire an individual boat and as the person has to stand up to maneuver the stick (Punting), I wonder how many people did not fall in the water until today.

Thanks to strong trade in the Middle Ages, Cambridge became a market town and on the XIII Century, it took on a new role: the university. The first college was Peterhouse College, founded in 1284. Nowadays there are 31 colleges in total and together they form the University of Cambridge. Some colleges are especially famous, as Christ College, King's College, Queen's College, and Trinity College (where people like Francis Bacon and Sir Isaac Newton studied).

St John's College

Trinity College, where Sir Isaac Newton studied

King's College

St John's College                 King's College

Trinity College, founded by Henry VIII

A quite interesting part of the University of Cambridge is the college system. The colleges are basically where the students sleep, eat and sometimes even party, I've heard... But the have nothing to do with the degree you study. Although you apply for a certain study subject at your college, the actual classes are delivered through the relevant department of the university. An example: You apply for engineering at Queens College. If you are accepted that means you will live at Queens College but study at the engineering department. I find this rather interesting, as it gives you the opportunity to liaise with people across different subjects in your college, while the engineering class allows interacting with students from other colleges, ensuring academic input from various sources.

Cambridge houses also good museums and some very old churches. It's worth spending the day visiting colleges and stroll through the narrow streets filled with shops and people. Just be careful not to get hit by one of the hundreds of student bikers who pass from one side to the other all the times.

        Fitzwilliam Museum             Church of the Holy Sepulchre