We spent half a day exploring Cambridge in 2017 while we came over for me to take my UK nursing test. This city deserves much more time but we explored with the time we had.

First of all, it’s a city with some of the oldest colleges and universities.  There is Cambridge University (founded in 1209!), King’s College, Trinity College, St. John’s College, and Pembroke just to name a few. Some of the most famous scientists attended these colleges as well, such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

6Things to See

1. King’s College Chapel

King’s College Chapel with its Gothic architecture is probably the most iconic image of Cambridge. The chapel is part of the University of Cambridge.

2. Great St. Mary’s Church

Great St. Mary’s Church is located right in the square where the markets are. Visitors are welcomed and entrance is free. Reenactments were being held for the 500th anniversary of The Reformation (Protestant) of England, and people were dressed to play the characters of King Henry VIII and his court.

3. Fitzwilliam Museum

The Fitzwilliam Museum is large AND free of charge. It holds some ancient items from Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Asia just to name a few. It’s worth a visit, and the building is beautiful.

4. Corpus Clock

Take a look at the Corpus Clock because it is very interesting. We really couldn’t get a proper photo though…so, sorry! You can even see our reflection taking the picture. It has this weird intriguing grasshopper looking thing known as a ‘chronophage’ which literally is a “time-eater”. The clock has no hands or digital numbers and was inaugurated in 2008 by Stephen Hawking.

5. Bridges of Cambridge

The Cam river flows through the city which there are multiple boat “punting” tours to take. There are many popular bridges located along the Cam river. We saw The Mathematical bridge but the most well known is The Bridge of Sighs.

6. Cambridge Market

Cambridge is a market city and has one in the center open Monday-Saturday from 10am-4pm. Our favorite part about markets are the many different cultural food stands. We found a Brazilian stand and got “coxinha”, a coffee from Malaysia, and a Venezuelan type sandwich with black bean, cheese, and plantains.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Cambridge? Feel free to share your thoughts!