The River Cam runs through the very heart of Cambridge, ⭐⭐ offering one of the most relaxing ways to experience the city’s timeless beauty. From the comfort of a traditional Cambridge punt, you can enjoy sweeping views of the world‑famous Cambridge College “Backs,” where elegant lawns, historic facades, and graceful bridges line the river’s edge.
The Best Way to See Cambridge! 🚣♂️ Punting the College Backs (YouTube link)
The Cambridge Backs
Often simply called the Backs, this iconic stretch reveals Cambridge at its most picturesque—colleges opening onto riverside gardens, willows trailing into the water, and centuries of architecture reflected in the slow‑moving Cam.
The Cambridge Backs (or just the Backs for short; original pdf download link)
Punt Tour of the River Cam
The photos below were taken on December 25, 2022—a quiet Christmas Day with soft clouds overhead and, thankfully, not too much winter chill. It was the perfect moment to settle into a punt and drift along the river, taking in the serene views of the college Backs from a unique and privileged perspective.
A punt tour offers an ideal opportunity to capture the iconic colleges from angles you simply can’t see from the streets. On this particular journey, we set off from Silver Street Bridge, gliding past the Mathematical Bridge, the Bridge of Sighs, and several other landmarks, following the route shown on the map from left to right.
Punting—pushing a flat and wide boat, along mainly shallow rivers, with the use of a long pole
Mathematical Bridge—the only wooden bridge spanning the River Cam (first built in 1749; replica built from 1904)
The Legacy of Xu Zhimo (徐志摩)
No journey along the River Cam is complete without acknowledging the legendary Chinese poet, Xu Zhimo. In 1928, after his time as a student at King's College, he penned the masterpiece “Taking Leave of Cambridge Again” (再别康桥). As you drift past the very same weeping willows and golden sunlight that inspired his verses, the river feels like a living poem.
The poem is so deeply woven into the identity of the city that a white marble monument stands in the gardens of King’s College, engraved with his famous opening and closing lines:
"Very quietly I take my leave, as quietly as I came here; Quietly I wave my sleeve, not taking away a single cloud."
The Wren Library (left) at Trinity College and King's College (right)
St John’s College New Court: The "Wedding Cake" of the River Cam
A Quiet Day in a Berlin Park, 1933 In the early 1930s, Takehisa Yumeji's studio became a hub for artists, inspiring ventures like the Mt. Haruna Art Research Institute. In 1931, Yumeji began a journey to the United States and Europe, supported by exhibitions of his work. While in the U.S. for 16 months, he continued to paint, creating pieces like Nude on the West Coast. Afterward, Yumeji taught in Berlin until the school was closed by the Nazis. He returned to Japan in 1933, his overseas experiences shaping his final works. His last exhibition was held in Taipei that year. Yumeji passed away from tuberculosis in 1934, leaving behind a legacy of beauty and cultural exchange. Read more: Prints in Collection—Takehisa Yumeji (1884-1934) Kuronosuke 黒の助: a Legacy Little Black Cat (YouTube link ) Photo Gallery The Yumeji Art Museum in Okayama exhibits many black cat paintings because the artist, Yumeji Takehisa , frequently featured them in his work, particularly in his bij...
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