Of course England is full of wonders, but if you want to discover a little bit more about the real past and cultural traditions of the country, you must visit the city of Universities. Some people say that Cambridge is the land of science, math and technology, and others say that Oxford is the humanitarian area, full of literature, history and philosophy. Are you already interested?
One thing is for sure: if you don’t enjoy museums and architecture, don’t go. Ok, you can go, but I won’t guarantee that you will enjoy it. On this text I’m going to show you some of my highlights of the two cities, specially through the pictures that I took. And now… Just a curiosity: even though the two cities have the same traditions, they have different attractions.
Cambridge
To start, I need to explain something: the Cambridge University is a big building located in the center of the city, however, there are a lot of other colleges that you can visit. For example, I went to St John’s College, where is possible to walk around the perimeter, see the dorms, enter some of the private areas and walk around the gardens. Just a warning: it’s forbidden to step on the grass.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues
Another fact about the city is the amazing architecture. A great place to see those historical wonders is King’s College, with a preserved Chapel and enormous artworks spread through the walls and the windows.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues
But if you want to runaway a little from the men’s masterpieces, you might enjoy the Botanic Garden. It’s a sort of a museum, but only with plants from all around the world. Something very intriguing about this place is how the objects and trees are disposed. They are organized in a way that you feel included and really connected to nature.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues
And to finish the day and my tips, I would say you need to do a boat tour on the river. The waters circulate all over the city center, so you have a really nice view of the places that you visited from outside and also get the chance to relax and sit down. And if you are an adventurous person, you can take the boat yourself, and choose the option without a guide. Relax, it’s not dangerous, just a little tiring.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues
Oxford
For me, the main difference between the two cities are the space on the streets. Yes, you read it right. In Oxford the streets seem way more larger than in Cambridge. But that’s just an impression.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues
Now, let’s go to what really matters: what to visit. In Oxford, things work pretty much like the other University City, there is the main college and many others that you can go.
Another interesting thing is: if you are a fan of Harry Potter, you might get a little crazy. Besides the fact that almost everywhere sells “Gryffindor” clothes and objects, the city carries a truly English vibe, with a pattern in every corner.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues
And to finish the article, I couldn’t left out a museum. Both of the cities have a strong tradition of artifacts, so you can visit almost anything that you want. But I wanted to mention the one that marked me the most: Museum of Natural History, in Oxford. The architecture by itself is almost as intriguing as the collections inside. There you can see bones of thousand of species and discover a different world, once that lived before us.
Image Source: Carolina Rodrigues