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Oxford
United Kingdom
Less than an hour's drive from London, Oxford is the perfect place to escape the big city without moving too far afield. Nicknamed the "City of Dreaming Spires", it's defined by honey-hued medieval colleges, churches and libraries dotted around the winding River Thames. More modern establishments are gradually settling into the city centre, including creative cocktail bars and vegan restaurants (Happy Friday Kitchen is a local favourite), but old British pubs remain at the heart of Oxford's cultural scene. Winter months should be spent going for long countryside walks, and summertime weekends paddling in the river - both rounded off with an ice-cold beer at one of the city's many pubs.