Cambridge is an extremely compact place. Cambridge University swamps the town. As one of the world's most famous and oldest universities, founded when students were driven out of Oxford by rioting in the early 13th century, its medieval colleges are simply superlative.
The Backs (i.e. the backs of the colleges), where lawns reach down to the Cam River, is very picturesque and best experienced on a punt. At the front, the handsome facades of these same colleges dominate the layout of the town centre, lining up along the main streets.
Many of the buildings are extraordinary beautiful, but the most famous is King's College, whose King's College Chapel is one of the great statements of late Gothic architecture. There are 31 university colleges in total, each an independent, self-governing body, proud of its achievements.
Nosing around the colleges' hidden courts and gardens, and searching out ancient libraries, refectories and chapels is the most pleasurable part of a visit.
