Cambridge offers several distinct starting points for a cultural trip: a historic park on the River Cam, a particularly old building on a college campus, a site associated with the city’s Roman history, and museums covering different subjects. There’s also punting, walking tours and cycling in and around the city. If you’re choosing a destination based on what you’d like to see or do, Cambridge can be explored through its landscapes, history, art and outdoor activities.
The Backs and activities on the River Cam
The Backs is a historic Grade I park. It runs behind the colleges along the western bank of the River Cam. This means the park, riverbank and college surroundings all come together at this location. If historic urban landscapes matter to you, The Backs is a distinct highlight alongside the buildings and collections that reveal other aspects of Cambridge.
The river can also be part of your plans: punting is available on the River Cam in Cambridge, with six licensed punting stations. On land, visitors can join a walking tour. There is also an excellent network of cycle routes in Cambridge and the surrounding area, making it possible to explore the city and its surroundings by bike. You can choose between an activity on the river, a walking tour and cycling.
College history and the Roman past
King’s College Chapel is the oldest surviving building on the college grounds. The services held there are also a specific option for visitors: they are free and open to the public. The Chapel’s significance can therefore be understood both through its place on the college grounds and through its services.
Castle Hill offers a different historical focus: it is the site of the Roman town of Duroliponte. Together, the Chapel and Castle Hill represent two distinct themes: the history of a college building and Roman urban history. If you’re choosing Cambridge for its history, specific places like these can help you decide what you’d most like to explore.
Art, collections and getting around
Kettle’s Yard’s collection includes modern art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics. The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, by contrast, explores human history over hundreds of thousands of years. The two collections therefore have different focuses: one centres on modern art and a range of artistic media, while the other covers a very long span of human history. This distinction can help you choose the museum subject that interests you most.
The respective starting points are also useful for getting your bearings. Cambridge station is about a 20-minute walk from the Fitzwilliam Museum. Kettle’s Yard is a short walk from the centre of Cambridge. These details refer to different journeys: the route from the station to the Fitzwilliam Museum and the walk from the centre to Kettle’s Yard.
Punting, walking tours and cycling add a range of activities to Cambridge’s cultural offerings. You can choose Cambridge based on what you’d like to discover.
Discover more destinations: Old Hurst, Chatteris, Comberton, Huntingdon, Stretham, Buckden, Papworth Everard, Water Newton
For the regional travel overview: Cambridgeshire.
