Cambridge factfile

How to get to Cambridge
Cambridge, about 80 km (50 mi) north of London, is at the heart of the high-tech heartland known as Silicon Fen. There are fast, frequent trains from London's King's Cross and Liverpool Street.

Cambridge is also within easy reach of London and the south by road on the M11. From the north, the A1/M1 links to the A14 dual carriageway. Cambridge is just 48 km (30 mi) from Stansted airport.

Cambridge through the ages
Although Cambridge has been a settlement since Roman times, the university city we know today goes back to 1209, when students fled Oxford after a dispute with locals to found a university. Peterhouse, founded in 1284, is the oldest college still in existence.

Although it doesn't have a cathedral, Cambridge is officially a city—it got its city charter in 1951.

Sports and leisure in Cambridge
Take a trip down the River Cam on a boat, or, for the more traditionally-minded, a punt. You can also take a punt on the horses at the National Hunt race days at nearby Huntingdon racecourse.

Arts and culture in Cambridge
Cambridge is a city simply bursting with arts and culture. Its numerous museums include the Scott Polar Museum, devoted to Arctic and Antarctic exploration, the Zoology Museum and the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, complete with totem pole.

For entertainment, from rock, pop and classical music to comedy and family shows, head for the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Or soak up the intimate atmosphere at the annual Cambridge Folk Festival.

Natural beauty spots around Cambridge
One of Britain's oldest nature reserves is Wicken Fen, close by the village of Wicken in Cambridgeshire. It's a wetland reserve and one of only four wild fens which still exist in the Great Fen Basin area of East Anglia.

Shopping in Cambridge
Whether you're looking for designer stores or high-street retailers, you'll find them in Cambridge's handily compact shopping district. There's a daily market too.

Things to see and do around Cambridge
Touring the colleges is a must. Don't miss the Chapel at King's College. It was completed during the reign of Henry VIII and is one of the city's most impressive buildings.

Famous people from Cambridge
Oliver Cromwell, Samuel Pepys and Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett are just a few of the famous folk with their roots in and around Cambridge.