Cambridge hotels

Romantic and proud, Cambridge is crammed full of soaring spires, students on bikes and tourists by their thousands. Explore the historic colleges making up England's second-oldest university and kick back along the riverside college ‘Backs'.

Wander the stone quadrangles of Trinity, St John's, Magdalene and Jesus colleges, treading in the footsteps of history and genius. Gaze up at the fan-vaulted ceilings of King's College chapel, completed in 1547. Marvel at the artistic treasure trove of the Fitzwilliam Museum. Do all this while dodging students cycling haphazardly through the winding streets.

Cambridge has managed to retain many of the one-off boutiques that have disappeared from most high streets. Scour Trumpington Street, King's Parade and Sidney Street for small galleries, gift shops and exclusive jewellers. Foodies love the upmarket bakeries and shops selling cheese and hand-made chocolate, while bookworms have a field day in the antiquarian and specialist bookshops.

Bag a punt (chauffeured or do-it-yourself) at Magdalene Bridge and see the colleges from the ‘Backs', dotted with daffodils in spring. Along the way, look out for the Venetian-style Bridge of Sighs at St John's College, the red-brick President's Lodge, and the oddly untidy wooden Mathematical Bridge. Laze in summer sunshine in the shadow of the colleges along the grassy Backs, take a picnic to Jesus Green or play frisbee on Midsummer Common.

Highbrow Cambridge is awash with student productions during term-time; catch classical concerts, indie bands and amateur-dramatics, or make a beeline for Evensong sung by famous King's College choir. If you miss them, try Trinity College, where the choir is almost as good. For top-quality theatre, head to the Cambridge Arts Theatre, launch-pad of the careers of many a well-loved British thespian. See opera, ballet or rock at the Cambridge Corn Exchange.

Drink alongside students and locals in traditional city-centre pubs around Bene't Street or laze away an afternoon on the terrace of a waterside gastro-pub along the River Cam. Take your pick from Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants around Newnham Road and Burleigh Street or hobnob with university professors and wealthy inventors from Silicon Fen at Michelin-starred Midsummer House.

Bump through the bike-infested streets of Cambridge by trishaw; set off on the city's hottest and newest tour from Market Square for a 45-minute glimpse of the colleges and the peaceful Backs from late April 2007.