Visit Oxford in the summer and you see it in all its glory, with the sun reflecting off the city’s characteristic golden stone and lighting up one architectural splendour after another. The ancient college and university buildings are at their most beautiful and everywhere you go there is a buzz of summer excitement.

Make the most of the many outdoor venues, whether you sit in the sunshine outside the fashionable King’s Arms pub on the corner of Holywell Street and Broad Street and watch the world go by, retreat to the ancient recesses of the Turf Tavern courtyard for a cool drink, or treat yourself to lunch on the sunny terrace of the rooftop restaurant of the Ashmolean Museum with its stunning views of Oxford.

Punting on the river is the perfect Oxford summer pastime. The best place for beginners to punt is on the River Cherwell from Magdalen Bridge Boathouse at the end of the High Street. From here you can punt through beautiful Christ Church Meadows in shallow water which makes it easy to give the impression of expertise! Take some sandwiches and a bottle of wine and stop en route at a grassy bank for a riverside picnic. Make sure you turn round when you reach the River Thames as the water there is deep and punting is difficult.

Another romantic place to hire a punt is the Cherwell Boathouse, off the Banbury road in North Oxford, which has a lovely riverside restaurant with outdoor terrace. The River Cherwell is wider and deeper than at Magdalen Bridge, so punting is a little more difficult, but it is a delightful trip up the river to the Victoria Arms pub at Marston, where you can moor the punt and stop for a drink before punting back to the boathouse.

Oxford also has many glorious green areas close to the city centre where you can relax. The Botanic Gardens, the oldest in Europe, are at the end of the High Street, opposite Magdalen College. The adjacent Christ Church Meadow leads down to the River Thames where you can watch the rowing and visit the college boathouses. Ten minutes walk from the city centre are the beautiful University Parks, where you can walk, picnic and watch leisurely cricket matches, and next to Jericho is the ancient green area along the River Thames known as Port Meadow.

In summer, it is an Oxford tradition to walk to one of the city’s famous riverside pubs. The best known is The Trout at Wolvercote, which can be reached by walking through Port Meadow and up the River Thames. It has a beautiful riverside location with a large outdoor seating area beside an old wooden bridge and waterfall. Others are The Perch at Binsey, which is en route to The Trout, and The Victoria Arms at Marston which can be reached on foot through the University Parks as well as by punt.

On a fine evening, go to one of the city’s many outdoor theatre productions. These are usually set in some of the colleges’ most stunning locations, such as New College or Magdalen College cloisters, Oriel College quadrangle or by the Worcester College lake, and the courtyard at Oxford Castle is also a superb venue. Whether you choose a Shakespeare play or something more modern, this is a great way to to enjoy the unique Oxford atmosphere, but make sure you take a warm coat or even a rug, as it can get chilly as the evening progresses.