Oxford

Oxford is one of the UK’s most important and popular visitor destinations.  It is famous throughout the world for its ancient, prestigious university, which has produced outstanding graduates in every subject and profession.  Kings, princes and princesses, presidents and many prime ministers have studied here.

There is no campus: the university is a federation of colleges, situated around the city. You can visit some of the colleges and also Oxford University's splendid Bodleian Library.

Oxford is a major cultural centre and it is a very cosmopolitan and lively city. It has six museums, including the oldest public museum in Britain: the Ashmolean.  University events are often open to the public, for example, there are outdoor performances of Shakespeare's plays in the summer and there are concerts in the Sheldonian Theatre.

The city has beautiful ancient architecture.  It is therefore a very popular film and TV location. You may recognise many buildings which appear in detective series such as "Lewis", "Inspector Morse", Midsomer Murders (“Inspector Barnaby”) and in "Harry Potter" films.

The city is flat, compact and easy to explore on foot or by bicycle.  You can climb to the top of several towers to enjoy great views of the "city of dreaming spires" and take photos.

Carfax Tower has 99 steps and the church of St. Mary the Virgin has 124 steps!  You can also go to chapel services in some colleges and listen to beautiful organ and choral music.

If you like boats and rivers, there is a leisure activity called "punting".  A punt is a traditional flat-bottomed boat and you propel it by pushing against the shallow river bed with a pole. Beginners can hire punts, but you may prefer to hire a chauffeur to avoid falling in the water or getting stuck!