The centre of Cambridge is a living museum for ancient architecture and, if you’ve got a hire car, you’ll find there are major historic sights scattered throughout the city and in surrounding suburbs and countryside too.

Cambridge itself is an easy to city to get around. It’s compact and the main arterial routes are well signposted.

Finding your way across the city is helped by the informal inner ring road formed by the A1134, A603 and Chesterton Road. Use this route to bypass the busier streets of the old town. You’ll notice that within this circle you’ll be able to observe many of the old college buildings and the main city centre.

Further out from the centre, Cambridge is skirted by major trunk roads, including the A14, which runs west-to east, and the A11 which links to Newmarket and the M11 motorway.

The M11 is useful because it runs down the western fringe of the city. It will whisk you north onto the A14 towards Huntingdon and the A1M. Take the M11 south to Duxford and Saffron Walden.

The area around Cambridge is very flat and rural. This makes for easy, relaxed driving on straight, smooth and quiet roads that are generally well maintained.

The city of Cambridge sits nestled next to the flat wetlands of East Anglia, known as the Fens. The city has an abundance of landmarks and attractions linked to its eminent and long-standing university, while the surrounding countryside has many more important sights hidden amongst the rural beauty.

Academic history and heritage

The heart of the city of Cambridge is the university. This is actually a collection of more than 30 separate colleges that date back to medieval times. There’s so much history immersed within these walls, it’s a challenge to take it all in.

Try to find time to wander along the narrow streets of King’s Parade and Pembroke Street which thread through the university buildings. You’ll be walking in the footsteps of generations of students, some of whom went on to become Nobel prize-winners and world leaders. You’ll see many of today’s academics cycling past or rushing to lectures clutching books.

Another must-see spot is ‘The Backs’. This is essentially the backs of the colleges and their gardens that run down to the River Cam. It’s a favourite spot if you fancy a punt, while the west bank is a perfect place for a picnic while you admire the tranquil view.

Tour the cultural hotspots

Not all of Cambridge's noteworthy buildings are used for academic study - there’s plenty more amazing architecture elsewhere in the city.

Look for the grand colonnaded façade of the Fitzwilliam Museum. Owned by the university, here you’ll find an impressive collection of art and antiquities with the added bonus of free admission.

The Centre for Computing History is another attraction worth popping into. It houses some the UKs oldest computers and features hands-on exhibitions and workshops so everyone can get involved.

Nearby, the Polar Museum, part of the Scott Polar Research Institute, commemorates the brave expeditions of early polar explorers with displays of their equipment and other artefacts.

When you feel like enjoying a relaxed retreat from the bustle of the colleges, it’s great to wander among the exotic plants in the Botanic Garden, just to the south of the inner ring road.

Taking in wider Cambridgeshire

Take a trip out of Cambridge to see the Jacobean house and working watermill at Anglesey Abbey, a short way to the north. This former priory has extensive gardens that are a local favourite for walks, from the snowdrop season in February until the autumn colours of late October.

The A10 road will take you 14 miles northeast to the small city of Ely, which boasts one of the great cathedrals of England. This pre-medieval church has a unique octagonal tower that dominates the flat surrounding landscape.

Nearby is Cromwell House - once the home of the Roundhead leader and the former Ely Gaol, it has since been converted into a museum showcasing Ely’s history.

All around the pancake landscapes of Cambridgeshire you’ll find patches of the original Fenland, a type of marshy, reclaimed wetland that dates back many centuries. If you fancy a stroll in these interesting areas, there’s a celebrated walking trail along the Cam and Ouse Rivers called the Fen Rivers Way.

Meanwhile, for a glimpse of the history of the fens, drive to the museum at Fag Fen, to the west of Cambridge. Archaeologists found a long prehistoric wooden causeway across the marshes here that originally used 60,000 timbers.

Also to the west of Cambridge is the Great Fen, a vast, ongoing environmental project to create a huge nature reserve. You’ll see unusual wildlife and the lowest point in Britain at Holme Post. It stands an incredible nine feet below sea level.