Cambridge – The city of knowledge! English Course in Cambridge
You have no idea for a holiday trip? we invite you to English Course in Cambridge
Still not sure where to spend your English course? The United States are too far away? London is to big? Well, why not go to the beautiful city of Cambridge!
Cambridge is located 80km north from London. It has about 130.000 inhabitants including about 20.000 university students. The city is mainly known for its university which is among the five best universities in the world, next to Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale and Oxford (rating 2011). Furthermore, it is an attractive city for lovers of architecture and history. You can visit museums, attend musical events and also nightlife does not come too short!
History
Archaeological finds have shown that there have been first settlers in the area of Cambridge already 1000 before Christ. When the Romans invaded Great Britain, Cambridge became an important military post in order to defend the river Cam. The settlement was then called Duroliponte. Until now you can find many Roman streets and fortification in the area around Cambridge.
After the Romans, different peoples ruled over Cambridge: First came the Saxons, who benefitted of the great trade connections between Cambridge and the fenlands. Nevertheless, Cambridge stayed a small settlement.
It was during the power of the Vikings in the 9th century after Christ, that Cambridge became a big market place and grew rapidly. The city moved from the left river side to the right.
When the Saxons came into power again, they built churches and merchant houses.
When the Normans conquerred England in the 11th century, William of Normany built a big castle on Castle Hill. Cambridge fell under the control of the king.
In 1209, the University of Cambridge was founded.
In the 14th century, Cambridge suffered severe losses due to the Black Death.
In the 19th century, Cambridge expanded rapidly, due to better live conditions and increasing trade, mainly caused by the new railway connection established in 1845.
Although Cambridge was an important centre for defence and evacuation of the eats coast during the the Second World War and was several times attacked by the German Airforce, luckily just a very little number of persons got killed and no historical building got destroyed.
Districts
Cambridge is divided into 14 districts:Abbey, Arbury, Castle, Cherry Hinton, Coleridge, East Chesterton, King’s Hedges, Market, Newnham, Petersfield, Queen Edith’s, Romsey, Trumpington and West Chesterton.
Means of transport
Cambridge is a great place for walking and cycling friends. Actually, the city has the highest level of cycle use in Great Britain!
Cambridge provides a railway station, Cambridge railway station, with direct connections to London. Check out the schedules and the prices here:
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Cambridge does also have its own airport, Marshall Airport Cambridge, but it is mainly used for business and leisure flights. www.marshallairportcambridge.co.uk
BUT there is a direct railway connection to London Stansted Airport, an airport for low cost airlines, which offers cheap flights from and to cities from all over Europe.
www.stanstedairport.com
Climate
The city of Cambridge enjoys a maritime weather with relatively cool summers and mild winters. The warmest month is July with an average maximum temperature of 23,1 °C (minimum 12,4 °C) . The coldest month is January with an average maximum temperature of 7,4 °C (minimum 1,4 °C). Although Great Britain is known for its wet weather, Cambridge is located in the driest region of the country.
Must-Do´s
Cambridge is a famous place of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world. It is popular for its prestigious universities, old churches and beautiful surroundings. Many famous scientists and authors have lived in Cambridge: Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Virginia Woolf and Nick Hornby are just some examples.
In the following list, you find just some ideas of how to spend your freetime during your English studies:
Colleges and university buildings: The university of Cambridge was established in the beginning of the 13th century. It comprises 31 colleges which are settled in a beautiful architectural surrounding. Trinity College is the biggest College in Cambridge. The Christs College College is the College where Charles Darwin has studied. The King´s College Chapel is simply THE symbol of the city.
There are many ways to visit the city and the university buildings. Why not take a punt tour along the river Cam and take pictures of the beautiful university buildings from a privileged viewpoint? Or hopp on an Hopp-on-hopp-off-bus and see Cambridge in a relaxed way! Or take a ghost tour at nighttime and follow a guide through the dark streets and corridors of the city, telling you about strange happenings and spooky tales in the colleges of Cambridge.
Visit one of the many markets in town: The Cambridge General Market which takes place daily (except Sundays) on the market square right in the heart of the city. Or The Arts and Crafts and Local Produce Market taking place every Sunday at the same place. Or The All Saints Craft Fair taking place on Saturdays opposite Trinity College.
Take a pub tour and visit famous bars such as The Eagle, where the two nobelists Crick and Watson have drawn the structure of DNA on a napkin!
And finally you should not miss the opportunity to visit the capital of England, as Cambridge is just 49 minutes away from London King´s Cross by non-stop-train!
Conclusion
Cambridge is a beautiful city where every corner provides a post card motive. Come here, enjoy the beautiful architecture of an old, the relaxed atmosphere of a small and the bubbly nightlife of a student town. . In that city, history and culture are never far away.
English Course in Cambridge has everything you need.
We also recomend English Course in London.
