STONEHENGE
Stonehenge, 10 miles north of Salisbury on Salisbury Plain, is Europe's best-known prehistoric
monument (the site is so popular that visitors need to purchase a timed ticket
in advance to guarantee entry). Exhibitions at the excellent visitor center set
the stage for a visit, explaining through audio-visual experiences and more
than 250 ancient objects how the megaliths were erected and
telling about life when they were placed here, between 3000 and 1500 BC. After
walking around the enormous stones, visit the authentic replicas of Neolithic
Houses to see the tools and implements of everyday Neolithic life as
volunteers demonstrate skills from 4,500 years ago. Although you can't go
inside the circle to wander among the stones during normal opening hours, you
can reserve special early morning or late evening access into
the circle through English Heritage, which manages the site.
TOWER OF LONDON
Prison, palace,
treasure vault, observatory, and menagerie - the Tower of London has done it
all. Widely considered the most important building in England, there's enough
to see and do at this World Heritage Site to keep visitors busy for hours. The
centerpiece is the White Tower. Built in 1078 by William the
Conqueror, it's home to amazing exhibits such as Line of Kings, the world's
oldest visitor attraction (1652) with its remarkable displays of royal
armor. Other highlights include the wonderful Crown Jewels exhibition,
classic Yeoman Warder Tours, the Royal Mint, and exhibits and displays
regarding prisoners and executions. All told, the Tower of London covers some
18 acres, so there's a great deal of exploring to do.
THE ROMAN BATHS AND GEORGIAN CITY OF
BATH
If you only have time to visit one
smaller city in England, you couldn't do much better than Bath. This remarkably
beautiful city boasts more fantastic tourist attractions than you could hope to
visit in a day. While most famous for the magnificent 2,000-year-old Roman
Baths built around the city's rejuvenating hot springs, it's equally
well known for its honey-colored Georgian Townhouses such as
those located on Royal Crescent. Some 500 of the city's buildings are
considered of historical or architectural importance, a fact that has resulted
in the entire city being granted World Heritage status. Bath makes an ideal
location from which to explore some of England's most stunning countryside,
including the Avon Valley, the Mendip Hills, and countless other fantastic
Somerset landmarks.
BRITISH MUSEUM
With
collections of antiquities that are among the world's finest, the British Museumholds more than 13 million artifacts from
Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, Greece,
the Roman Empire, China,
and Europe. The most famous ancient artifacts are
the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens and
the Rosetta Stone, but there are many other outstanding pieces on
show here. The Ancient Egyptian collection is the largest outside of Cairo,
and the hoard of Roman silver dating from the fourth century known as the
Mildenhall Treasure, unearthed in Suffolk in 1942, is nothing short of
spectacular
YORK MINSTER AND HISTORIC YORKSHIRE
The magnificent York Minster is
second in importance in the Church of England only to the cathedral at Canterbury. It stands in the center of York, surrounded by half-timbered homes and shops, medieval
guildhalls, and churches. In turn, York's romantic streets are surrounded by
three miles of magnificent town walls that you can walk atop for views of the
city and its surroundings. While there, visit the National Railway
Museum, one of England's most visited tourist attractions. York is a good
base for exploring the countryside, in particular the rugged beauty of the
Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. Elsewhere in Yorkshire, you'll find
some of England's most beautiful historic towns and cities, including Durham and Beverley.
Located in Upton, just over a mile
north of Chester city center, Chester Zoo is England's most visited
attraction outside of London and a particular favorite for families. The more than
11,000 animals living in this 125-acre site represent about 400 different
species. But the zoo's appeal reaches to more than animal lovers, with
prizewinning landscaped gardens. You can tour these extensive
grounds on the zoo's monorail system to reach highlights that include
Chimpanzee Island, a penguin pool, and Europe's largest tropical house.
While in Chester, take time to walk
its walls, the best preserved of their kind in Britain, and see Chester's
other most distinctive feature: its galleried walkways running
the length of stone and half-timbered buildings dating from the 14th century.
LAKE DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK
Covering some
900 square miles, the Lake District National Park is a must-visit destination
for travelers to England. With 12 of the country's largest lakes and more than
2,000 miles of rights of way waiting to be explored, there's little wonder the
region continues to inspire, with its magnificent views and scenery straight
out of a painting. Other things to do include visiting the park's many fells,
including Scafell Pike (3,210 feet), the highest mountain in
England; lovely little towns and villages such as Grasmere; as well as boat
excursions across Lake Windermere and Ullswater.
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
Located in the heart of the historic
city that bears its name, Canterbury Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
is home to the Archbishop of Canterbury and is the cradle of
English Christianity. It all started when St. Augustine converted
the pagan Anglo Saxons here in 597 when he became the first bishop. But there's
much more to this beautiful medieval city than its cathedral. Canterbury is
also a popular cultural and entertainment destination with great shopping,
galleries, and cafés, as well as attractions such as those focused on Chaucer's
medieval England and the city's Roman past.
EDEN PROJECT
The incredible
Eden Project is a collection of unique artificial biomes containing
an amazing collection of plants from around the world. Located in a reclaimed quarry
in Cornwall, the complex consists of huge domes that look rather like massive
igloo-shaped greenhouses. Each houses thousands of different plant species in
tropical and Mediterranean environments. As well as these stunning displays of
plant life, the Eden Project hosts numerous fantastic arts and music events.
THE COTSWOLDS
The Cotswolds cover some 787 square
miles and encompass parts of some of England's prettiest counties -
Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, and
Warwickshire. And all of it begs to be explored. Designated an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty due to its rare limestone grassland
habitats and old growth beech woodlands, the beauty of the Cotswolds has much
to do with its quaint villages and towns, such as Castle Combe, Chipping
Norton, and Tetbury. Like so much of England, the Cotswolds is perfect to
discover on foot, particularly along the Cotswold Way, a 10-mile
footpath with spectacular views of the Severn Valley and the Vale of
Evesham.
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