Look beyond the dreaming spires: discover Oxford like a local, from the centuries-old colleges to the indie shops. Breathtakingly beautiful and staggeringly historic, it’s easy to do Oxford wrong – but there’s more here than Harry Potter tourists and hordes of undergrads. This student city is surprisingly youthful, with a bustling food, theater and arts scene that belies its size. Whether you’re here for the centuries-old libraries and colleges, magnificent museums, indie shops, culinary diversity of Cowley Road, Jericho café culture or plethora of storied pubs, there is plenty to explore beyond the tourist trail. This is your boldly opinionated guide to the best of it.