Oxford, England – The City of Dreaming Spires
Being the home for the oldest university of English speaking world, the city is much renowned for its academic heritage and culture. It is a major city in Oxfordshire County at South East England. Two major rivers of the region, Thames and Cherwell run through the city, before joining together at the southern end. A leisurely vacation in Oxford will give you the opportunity to explore the ancient university, to discover past from the historical buildings, colleges and museums, to enjoy the river side, to drop in the local pubs, to attend a theater show and something more.
The University Church of St Mary the Virgin was built in 13th century and it was the first building of the university. The decorated spires of this splendid architecture add on to the dramatic skyline view of the city. The tower of the church offers stunning views of the university and surroundings.
Radcliffe Camera, is a famous building in English Palladian style, which was constructed in 18th century. It is one of the iconic buildings of the city with spectacular architecture.
Founded in 17th century, the Ashmolean Museum is known as the oldest in the country and it covers a time span of almost four thousand years. Starting with the ancient civilization of Egypt till today, the museum has displayed a huge assortment of items like paintings, art pieces, sculpture, musical instruments, ceramics etc.
Bodleian Library is one of the important academic attractions of the city. It also has impressive architectural evidences. The central part of this library is located in Radcliffe Square. It also includes the Duke Humfrey’s Library from the 15th century.
The Christchurch Picture Gallery is housed in one of the most prestigious university colleges, Christchurch. There is a massive collection of paintings and drawings by famous painters including Leonardo, Raphael, Rubens and Michelangelo.
As the central point of the city, Carfax Tower is the remains of a 13th century church of St Martin, which later got knocked down to make more space for the traffic. You can climb to the tower top to capture the best panoramic snap of the city.
The city also boasts the oldest Botanic Garden of the country, having a huge collection of over 8000 different types of plants species. The Walled Garden, Rock Garden, Herbaceous Border, the Glasshouses are among the most notable points to visit.
