Behind the Cambridge colleges’ grandiose facades and stately courts, a series of gardens and parks line up beside the river. Collectively known as the Backs, the tranquil green spaces and shimmering waters offer unparalleled views of the colleges and are often the most enduring image of Cambridge for visitors. The...

　　Alma mater of six prime ministers, three saints and Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), St John's is superbly photogenic. Founded in 1511 by Henry VII's mother, Margaret Beaufort, it sprawls along both riverbanks, joined by the Bridge of Sighs, a masterpiece of stone tracery and...

　　Founded by Charles Darwin's mentor, Professor John Henslow, the beautiful Botanic Garden is home to 8000 plant species, a wonderful arboretum, glasshouses (containing both fierce carnivorous pitcher plants and the delicate slipper orchid), a winter garden and flamboyant herbaceous borders. Hour-long guided tours (free) are held at 2.30pm every Sunday...

　　The foundations of Cambridge's sublime university church date from 1010. It was burnt to the ground in the 1290s and rebuilt in 1351. The major expansion of 1478–1519 resulted in the late-Gothic Perpendicular style you see today. Striking features include the mid-Victorian stained-glass windows, seating galleries and two organs –...

　　Christ's College is a venerable institution at more than 500 years old. Its gleaming Great Gate is emblazoned with heraldic carvings of Tudor roses, a portcullis and spotted Beaufort yale (mythical antelope-like creatures). Its founder, Lady Margaret Beaufort, hovers above like a guiding spirit. A stout oak door leads into...

　　In a city crammed with showstopping buildings, this is a scene-stealer. Grandiose 16th-century King's College Chapel is one of England’s most extraordinary examples of Gothic architecture. Its inspirational, intricate 80m-long fan-vaulted ceiling is the world’s largest and soars upwards before exploding into a series of stone fireworks. This hugely atmospheric...

　　The largest of Cambridge's colleges, Trinity offers an extraordinary Tudor gateway, an air of supreme elegance and a sweeping Great Court – the largest of its kind in the world. It also boasts the renowned and suitably musty Wren Library, containing 55,000 books published before 1820 and more than 2500...

　　In the 44 individually styled rooms of riverside Varsity, wondrous fixtures and furnishings (such as roll-top baths and travellers' trunks) sit beside floor-to-ceiling glass windows, espresso machines and smartphone docks. The views out over the colleges from the roof terrace are utterly sublime. 　　Valet parking costs £20 a night. ...

　　A chilled soundtrack and customers with laptops at almost every table signal that this industrial-chic cafe is a student favourite. That's partly down to the wholesome food – dishes might include frittata with sweet potatoes and spinach, or juicy portobello mushrooms in brioche buns – and partly down to some...

　　Tales of hostile environments, dogged determination and, sometimes, life-claiming mistakes are evoked powerfully at this compelling museum. Its focus on polar exploration charts the feats of the likes of Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Ernest Shackleton and Captain Robert Falcon Scott. The affecting collections include paintings, photographs, clothing, equipment, maps, journals...

　　Fondly dubbed 'the Fitz' by locals, this colossal neoclassical pile was one of the first public art museums in Britain, built to house the fabulous treasures that the seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam bequeathed to his old university. Expect Roman and Egyptian grave goods, artworks by many of the great masters and...

　　Known locally as Caius (pronounced 'keys'), Gonville and Caius boasts three fascinating gates: Virtue, Humility and Honour. They symbolise the progress of the good student; the third gate (the Porta Honoris, a fabulous domed and sundial-sided confection) leads to the Senate House and thus graduation. Former students include Francis Crick...