Tourists guide to the historic city of oxford

Oxford has a unique atmosphere. World famous for its ‘dreaming spires’ and 13th century university made up of 36 colleges of mellow stone. The beauty of this historic city can often take visitors by surprise. The unique blend of academic excellence with a vibrant, creative and youthful city that has a heart and soul as good as it looks. Oxford is full of top class restaurants, bistros and bars, traditional pubs, visitor attractions and a cultural scene that has led to Oxford being voted top UK city for culture by readers of the prestigious Conde Nast traveller magazine.

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Where is the university? Easy, just look around you! Oxford’s heart is the university and its numerous college buildings are dotted throughout the city. The wealthier colleges such as Christ Church own vast tracts of land all around Oxford so within 10 minutes walk of the city centre you can be sitting by the Thames in open countryside! In fact you could walk from Oxford city centre to the City of London without leaving university owned land!

With over 1,000 years of history where do you start?

Official walking tours of the city – daily from the tourist information centre on Broad Street.
Bodleian library – architectural splendour and over 7 million books on 110 miles of shelving.
Modern art Oxford – International artists and cutting edge installations.
Oxford castle – Oxfords oldest new quarter.
Museum of Oxford – 1,000 years of history and still counting.
Ashmolean museum – founded in 1683 amazing exhibits of art and archaeology including the Alfred Jewel and Guy Fawkes lantern.
Views from Oxfords towers – Carfax tower, the Saxon tower of St. Michael at the north gate and the university church of St. Mary the virgin. Both offer superb panoramas of Oxfords dreaming spires and are well worth the climb.

Retail therapy
Oxford has all the major national retail stores plus an interesting range of quirky and smaller independent stores. Books, both new and second hand are big in Oxford with Blackwell’s 19th century bookshop the biggest in the world. The 18th century covered market has a massive range of shops selling a wide range of goods from fine cheeses, gifts, goodies or even a home made hat! For those with the time and money still left Bicester village designer retail outlet is not far away.

Wining and dining
A range of international flavours from Thailand to Morocco, Mexico to Japan or even traditional British, Oxford has it all. Distinctive Oxford settings make a night out a new experience. Take tea in a converted prison. Follow in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkein, Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis who held literary meetings in the Eagle and Child pub on St. Giles. Enjoy jazz in Jericho. Eat in the vaults of the oldest university building in the world. Or have afternoon tea in England’s very first coffee shop on The High.

Nightlife
Classical music in Sir Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian theatre.
Drama at Oxford Playhouse.
Student productions at the tiny Burton Taylor Studio.
Shakespeare in the open air in the grounds of one of the universities colleges.
Comedy at Jongleurs or Bullingdon Comedy Club.
Top jazz at The Spin.
Live bands at The Carling Academy, The Wheatsheaf or numerous pubs around the city.

Where to eat and drink
Jericho and Little Clarendon Street are full of trendy restaurants, bustling cafes and busy bars. Why not try the Duke of Cambridge on Little Clarendon Street for the very best cocktails in town followed by dinner at Raymond Blanc’s Brasserie Blanc on nearby Walton Street.
The Cowley Road, past Magdalen Bridge is full of superb Indian restaurants, plus lively student pubs and clubs.
St. Georges Street is full of lively pubs and clubs including Yates Wine Lodge and The Old Fire Station.
For a taste of old Oxford take a drink by the old city walls at The Turf Tavern (if you can find it!) via Holywell Street or a narrow passageway leading off from the Bridge of Sighs.

So why not follow the footsteps of over 4 million visitors to Oxford every year and find out for yourself what you have been missing.


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