National Geographic Special - The World\'s Most Beautiful Places

75 CITIES & BEYOND

ENGLAND

Dreaming spires, chiming bells, royal retreat,

seat of learning, and—some would say—the

most beautiful town in England: Oxford has

many claims to fame, but its chief glories are the

buildings of the old city itself, and in particular

the collection of colleges and ancient university

institutions at its heart. The warm, honey-colored

Cotswold stone with which all are built and the

courtyards or “quads” around which they cluster

result in an architectural harmony unequaled any-

where in Europe.

DON’T MISS

Walk or cycle down the winding cobblestone streets

around the Bodleian Library—being sure to visit any col-

leges that are open to the public—and soak in the Cots-

wold stone buildings, taking in this prestigious city much

as dons and poets have done for centuries.

All Souls College (left), founded in 1438, and central Oxford

(above), with Radclife Camera (1737) at its heart

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oxford