Attractions in Bath - What to do, see and visit during your stay

Sightseeing in Bath

Bath is the perfect size for a short break in the UK. The only things you'll need to discover the city are your legs, some good walking shoes and a street map. If you want to immerse yourself quickly in what the city has to offer, take advantage of one of the walking tours on offer. There's a tour for all tastes: The Mayor's Guides are FREE and take about 2 hours, (not all of it walking!) It's a great introduction to the city's history and architecture. For night birds there's the Ghost tour which focuses on the more macabre elements of the city's history. The Bizarre Baths tour recount tales of some of the more eccentric local characters and, last but not least, for any 'Janeites' there's the Jane Austen walking tour taking in where she lived and shopped. The tourist information office by the Abbey can give you times and prices. If you're only in the city for a day, a bus tour is a faster (if more expensive) alternative which will still leave you time for some shopping and eating. A good maxim when touring Bath is 'Don't forget to look up'. There's a wealth of history on what buildings were originally built for remaining above current shop fronts.

Attractions in Bath

The best known attractions are still the Roman Baths and the Abbey but for breathtaking architecture, the Circus and Royal Crescent are world-beating. John Wood the Elder was responsible for the former and if you look at the skyline details no two houses are the same. It's also dripping with name plaques of illustrious former residents and until recently could boast actor Nicholas Cage as a local.

Central in the Circus are the Plane trees which make seeing the other side of the Circus impossible when in leaf. It's believed that this led to the expression 'You can't see the 'Wood' for the trees' being coined.

Along from the Circus is the Royal Crescent built by John Wood the Younger. The row of houses on the western side of the crescent were added at a later date to shelter the crescent from biting winter winds and are probably constitute the most expensive 'wind break' in the world. The Bath Museum at No.1 Royal Crescent is decorated in full Georgian splendour. The museum guides in each room are worth quizzing and can give you lots of detail on how the households of the period were run.

The Assembly rooms are a short stroll away and were featured in Austen's Persuasion. Although the Assembly Rooms house the renowned Fashion Museum the function rooms are worth visiting in their own right. Fans of Strictly Come Dancing may be interested in the afternoon tea dances that are held every month in the main ballroom. (over 18's only).

The beauty of walking or dancing around Bath is that you will definitely have deserved taking the weight of your feet in many of the Bars, Cafes and restaurants.

Tucked away in St John's Street is the former steak and chop house The Salamander. This is the best place to try the delicious and hugely popular Bath Ales (now available in all good Sainsbury's!) this pub also has an extensive lunch and dinner menu.

Opposite the Salamander is one of the best, if not the best independent bookshop in the UK, the beautifully named Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights. Mr B's was awarded the best independent bookshop of 2011 at the British Book Industry Awards in May. It's a very easy way to browse away an hour.

Another St John's Street fixture is the famous Paxton & Whitfield Cheese shop. This purveyor of all things cheese associated was founded in Aldwych Market, London in 1797. Famous for the quality of its cheeses, Winston Churchill once observed "a gentleman only buys his cheese from Paxton & Whitfields." If you're planning to take some cheese home please note that the shop is not open on a Sunday.

No visit to Bath would be complete without a visit to Pulteney Bridge, one of only 4 bridges worldwide with shops along both sides and probably the most photographed view in the entire city due to its beautiful Palladian architecture. Fans of Dame Judi Dench's style can copy her look by shopping at Hampstead Bazaar based here. Also just along the street is the long established and much loved No.5 restaurant, an independent bistro run by chef patron Richard de Cesare with his wife Carol. The restaurant combines great tasting food with a welcome lack of pretension. The staff is always friendly and attentive and it's definitely worth booking in advance, particularly on a Saturday if Bath's Rugby Team are playing at home, as the restaurant is very popular amongst supporters.

Christmas Breaks in Bath

A winter addition to the city's attractions is the Christmas Market - now one of the largest and most popular in Europe. This is Bath at its most stunning with 120 gift stalls laid out around the Abbey under Christmas lights. The market normally runs for 3 weeks from the last week of November and is worth a visit if only to indulge in a glass of hot gluhwein and a bratwurst to keep out the Winter chill. The Abbey also opens up to all Christmas shoppers and puts on mini Carol services throughout the day which last about 25 minutes and is great way to get into the spirit of the season with people from all over the world. It's also a good way to rest weary feet from an over indulgence in shopping.

This has merely scratched at the surface of what Bath has to offer - Guidebooks can give you lots more and we have no doubt you'll find your own hidden treasures which will make you want to keep coming back again and again.

Images supplied by visitbath.co.uk. Copyright Bath Tourism Plus.

Longleat House & Safari Park
Longleat House nestles alongside the magnificent Half Mile lake within the landscaped gardens set out by Capability Brown. Inside is a wealth of history and antiquity from superb paintings, Flemish tapestries, French furniture. In the vast park enjoy the sights and sounds of the lions, tigers, rhino and giraffes. There is plenty for the children to enjoy from the maze to the adventure castle and railway. Plenty to keep all the family entertained.  Visit Website

Museum of Costume
The story of fashion over the last 400 years is brought alive at the Museum of Costume, the finest museum of fashionable garments in the world. The displays include 200 dressed figures to illustrate the changing styles in fashionable clothes from the late 16th century to the present day, chosen from the museum's collection of 30,000 original items.  Visit Website

Shopping in Bath
When it comes to shopping, it's a case of quantity and quality. Bath has more - and better - shops than a city ten times its size. It is a shoppers paradise - in addition to all the familiar names and big stores there's a fabulous choice of smaller specialist and independent shops all wrapped up in a compact, visitor-friendly centre that's a delight to explore.  Visit Website

Stonehenge
The great and ancient stone circle of Stonehenge is one of the wonders of the world. What visitors see today are the substantial remnants of the past in a sequence of such monuments erected between circa 3000BC and 1600BC. Each monument was a circular structure, aligned with the rising of the sun at the midsummer solstice.  Visit Website

The Jane Austen Centre
Celebrating Bath's most famous resident, The Jane Austen Centre offers a snapshot of life during Regency times and explores how living in this magnificient city affected Jane Austen's life and writing. 'Live' Guides, costume, film, superb giftshop and an authentic sense of history.  Visit Website