Not to miss

Great St Mary's Church

This university church, built between 1478 and 1519 in the late-Gothic perpendicular style, has a feeling of space and light inside thanks to its clerestory, wide arch and woodcarving. The traditional termly university sermons are preached here. To get your bearings, climb the 123 steps of the tower for a good view of the city.

The building across King's Pde, on the right-hand side of the square, is the Senate House, designed in 1730 by James Gibbs. It's the most beautiful example of pure classical architecture in the city; graduations are held here.

King's College Chapel

All the college chapels are individually remarkable but King's College Chapel is supreme in its grandeur. It's one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England, comparable with Chartres Cathedral in France.

The chapel was conceived as an act of piety by Henry VI (who laid its foundation stone in 1446) and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Building was completed around 1516. Henry VI's successors, notably Henry VIII, glorified the interior (and themselves in doing so). Services are led by its choir, originally choristers from Eton College, (another of Henry VI's foundations). The choir's Festival of the Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve are heard all over the world. The chapel comes alive when the choir sings; even the most pagan heavy-metal fan will find Choral Evensong an extraordinary experience.

Trinity College

Henry VIII founded Trinity College in 1546, but it was left to Dr Nevile, Master of Trinity (1593-1615) during Elizabeth's reign, to fulfil his wishes, as Henry died six weeks after founding the college. Walk through the impressive brick gateway (1535) to see the statue of Henry that adorns it. His left hand holds a golden orb, while his right grips a table leg.

As you enter the Great Court, scholastic humour (the table leg was put there by students who removed the golden sceptre years ago) gives way to a gaping sense of awe, for it is the largest of its kind in the world. The place is dripping with history: to the right of the entrance is a small tree, planted in the 1950s and reputed to be a descendant of the apple tree made famous by Trinity alumnus Sir Isaac Newton. The square is also the scene of the run made famous by the film Chariots of Fire - 350m in 43 seconds (the time it takes the clock to strike 12). Although plenty of students have a go, Harold Abrahams (the hero of the film) never actually attempted it, and his fictional run wasn't even filmed here. If you fancy your chances, remember that you'll need Olympian speed to even come close to making it in time.