Located in the west of England and surrounded by green hills and beautiful countryside the charming city of Bath should be on everyone’s list of places to visit when holidaying in England.
The city is renowned for its hot springs – the only hot springs in the country. When the Romans occupied England they built the country’s most important religious spa over these springs – temples, hot baths, cold plunge pools, saunas etc. Today one can step back in time and visit the well-preserved remains of this spa at the city’s Roman Baths museum. Here you can see the hot water bubbling up and on a cold day watch the steam lingering over the ancient Roman bath. Should you wish to try the hot waters, the city’s Thermae Bath Spa has an outdoor roof-top pool which is fed by the hot springs – a great way to end a day’s sightseeing!
During the 17th- 19th Century the hot springs attracted Kings, Queens and the elite of society who stayed in Bath to take the water for their health - maybe we should be drinking it today for the coronavirus?! In addition to enjoying the waters these visitors would dance, gamble and socialise. English literature fans may be familiar with this time. Jane Austen, one of England’s most famous novelists, wrote about life in Bath in two of her novels and lived in Bath at the beginning of the 19th Century. Bath’s popularity during this time led to the beautiful Georgian architecture that you can see today. A walking tour around the city is a must to see these historic and beautiful buildings and hear about the fascinating stories behind them and Bath’s infamous residents.
Today the biggest regret of Bath’s visitors is that they did not stay long enough. You can visit Bath on a day-trip from London (Bath is approximately 1.5 hours by train from London) but to get the best experience you should consider staying at least a night. It is a charming place to stay with lots of accommodation and dining options.
Bath Insider Tours is a local tour operator in the city and is run by an award-winning guide, Daniel, who was born and grew up in Bath. Daniel recommends allowing a day to visit Bath: giving you time do a walking tour of the city, visit one of the museums e.g. the Roman Baths museum and then perhaps enjoy the hot springs. Additional days will allow you to visit attractions in the area e.g. Stonehenge, Glastonbury and Cheddar are all under 1 hours drive from Bath as are picturesque villages which have changed little over the centuries making them popular filming destinations - Harry Potter and Downtown Abbey have all been filmed in the area.
For a great introduction to Bath check out Bath Insider Tours’ popular walking tour of the city. Bath Insider Tours also offers tours to other attractions in the area as well as a combined Bath and Stonehenge tour allowing you to visit 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites in one day.
Text and images provided by Bath Insider Tours
Various options with Bath Insider Tours can be booked via Travelcoup
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