WINDSOR

We, the students of fifth form, traveled to the UK from the 19th of May until 16th of June. Traditionally, our school  made this trip to Oxford, but we were the first group to go to  London. We spent three weeks there and one week on a tour in the UK. During our stay  in London, we had day trips on the weekends. The cities that we visited were Windsor, Oxford, Bath and Brighton. We found these places really attractive and interesting, so we want to share them with you.

Our first day trip was Windsor. Windsor is a town in England, near London, where  “Windsor Castle” is located. This is one of the  oldest and largest royal residences of the British Monarchy. If you’re interested in history, this castle is full of interesting and important buildings inside such as St George’s Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth II is buried! Also, during the English Civil War the castle was used as  military headquarters and as a prison for King Charles I. We suggest you explore the castle’s state apartments, St George’s Chapel and  Queen Mary’s dollhouse because they are impressive. A fun fact is that some famous couples got married here, such as Prince Harry and Megan Markle or Prince Edward and Sophie.

If you visit Windsor, you can also go to Windsor Great Park, where there are beautiful areas, small lakes and open spaces. It also has the iconic “long walk", a straight avenue leading to the castle. You can also go downtown to shop, have  coffee or Amorino ice cream, which we highly recommend.  Or maybe you can take a walk from Windsor to Eton college, which is only a 15-minute walk.

At about 6pm we got a train back to London, which is a fast and comfortable means of transport, and from where you can enjoy beautiful landscapes. 

OXFORD

On our first  Sunday in England we took a bus from the residence in London to Oxford. Oxford is a world-renowned city for its prestigious university, which  is one of the oldest and most esteemed in the world. An interesting fact is that Oxford University is not a single building, but it is made up of a group of colleges with buildings, churches and libraries spread all around the city. Something to highlight about Oxford is that it has medieval buildings with gothic architecture, such as the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library and Christ Church College. If you are interested in visiting Christ Church College,you have to book tickets  beforehand. The Harry Potter lunchroom design was inspired by the lunchroom at this college and there are some other rooms that were used to film the movie, and which you can visit.  

In Oxford you can also go punting along the river that runs through the city and is a popular tourist attraction that you can't miss. A person can punt for you or you can do it yourself. 

Oxford also has a cultural and social scene, for example, the Bridge of Sighs which is famous because its design is a replica of the one in Venice, Italy, and it connects two college buildings.There are also theaters, cinemas and pubs, like the traditional Turf Tavern. Finally,  you can have a cycling experience since Oxford is a cycle friendly city. Also,if you are interested in going around the city you can go shopping or visit one of  the most famous libraries in Europe, the Bodleian. While you go around, pay attention to the beautiful parks and street performances.

BATH

On our second Sunday, we went to Bath, a city famous for its hot springs and baths built by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C., and its awesome Georgian architecture. 

The Roman baths are the most famous attraction in the city. This shows the ancient Roman influence in England  and offers visitors a chance to see the great baths,  a temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva and a museum with lots of meaningful objects from the Romans’ time. We suggest visiting this city with a guide to understand all the historical background of the city because there are several aspects that you shouldn’t miss. Another well known tourist attraction is  Bath Abbey, a medieval church located in the center of the city right next to the Roman Baths. The interesting fact of the Abbey is that it has a gothic architecture and visitors can explore it and climb to the top of the tower to see the entire city of Bath. 

Apart from visiting the conventional tourist attractions, we went for a walk around the center of the city which is very nice.If you have the opportunity, make sure to do it. There, you can take a look at the picturesque countryside and nearby villages. 

BRIGHTON

Last but not least, before starting our UK tour, we spent our last Friday in Brighton,  which is located in the South of England. Make sure you go to have fun! Brighton is known for being an inclusive city, so there's a lot of freedom to express yourself, but the main reason to visit this place is the iconic beach.We highly recommend you go to the Brighton Palace Pier where there is a theme park that is built on top of the sea. There we had a lot of fun on the roller coasters, especially on the Turbo. From there, we went to the beach and spent our afternoon resting and sunbathing there. Later, we went for a walk in the center of the city,  where we found colorful areas and a comfortable environment to have a snack. If you want to go shopping there is a huge shopping center there, with fashionable shops. You may also take a look at the Royal Pavilion, which is an outstanding palace because it has an Indo-Saracenic style. It was built for the Prince of Wales and the interesting fact is it is extravagant and displays a unique architecture. Finally, if you´re lucky, you may have the chance to experience a music event which takes place regularly in Brighton.