Cambridge owes
its continued popularity as a tourist destination primarily to the presence of the
university which bears the city's name.
The wonderful medieval architecture of the early colleges that make up the university
provide a delightful glimpse of life long ago, and the history that is bound up
in those colleges makes for fascinating exploring.
The oldest colleges face away from the River Cam, but share an expanse of lawn running
down to the river known as The Backs.
The Backs provide an excellent space for strolling and relaxing, and walkers along
the river can view the often comical efforts of neophytes attempting to pole a punt
along the water. [Editor's note: it is much harder than it looks, and quite embarassing
when your pole gets stuck in the river mud and your punt drifts away].
No one should visit Cambridge without trying their hand at punting - the boats can
be rented for quite a reasonable price. Cambridge boasts superb museums and art
galleries, and the University Botanical Gardens are world-reknown. Near the city
are a whole range of attractions, from Duxford War Museum to the stately home of
Wimpole Hall. Further afield the cathedral cities of Peterborough and Ely offer
more architectural delights.
You are never far from the fenland in Cambridgeshire; in bygone centuries much of
the fens was underwater, and only small tufts of solid ground rose above the surface
to provide space for settlement. Since the fens were drained in the 17th century
the rich soil of the area has provided excellent agricultural opportunities, and
even the outskirts of Cambridge back onto farmer's fields. The unique flora and
fauna of the fens can be explored at the Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, the oldest such
reserve in England.
Cambridge is a wonderful fusion of the everyday and the extraordinary, a living
city that has shaped history, that today reflects the best of historic and contemporary
life and is continuing to make its mark on the future.
Even if you have never visited Cambridge, it has still touched your life as the
place that inspired Darwin, Newton, AA Milne, Wordsworth, John Cleese, Graham Chapman,
Eric Idle and Stephen Hawking. Today it is inspiring thousands of Cambridge students
and leads the way in new and emerging technology.
Source :- www.britainexpress.com , www.visitcambridge.org, FreeFoto.com
