THE CITY OF BATH
In the southwest of England, 160 km west of London, lies the beautiful city of Bath. Long famous for its hot springs and beautiful Georgian architecture, today Bath is a World Heritage Site that is visited every year by millions of people from all over the world.
It was the hot springs that started it all. When the Romans reached Britain, they found that the Celts had already built a shrine where the water bubbled out of the ground. With their love of bathing, it did not take long for the Romans to start developing the site. Starting in the middle of the first century, for the next 300 years the Romans built and improved the baths and the city. Sadly, when the Romans left at the beginning of the fifth century, the baths were not cared for and were eventually lost beneath the rising levels of earth and silt.
Bath next became popular with visitors in the early eighteenth century when the famous architects of the time started building beautiful streets and squares using the honey-coloured stone that was found in the area. All the buildings followed a similar design on the outside, and many buildings for public use as well as private houses were built during this period.
Fortunately, most of these beautiful buildings, as well as the reopened Roman Baths, can still be seen today, but it is not only the architecture that attracts visitors to Bath – there are plenty of other things to see and do in this lively city.
THINGS TO DO
Bath is home to a number of museums including the Fashion Museum which follows 400 years of changes in fashion, the American Museum on the outskirts of the city, and many others. For the more active, golf, riding, cycling, boating and even hot-air ballooning are available.
EATING OUT
Like many other places in the country, Bath has seen a revival in its eating places and it is now possible to sample food from all over the world from the traditional British 'fish-and-chips' to Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisine. Although you can find yourself spending a lot of money, many of the restaurants and cafés are a lot less expensive than you might expect.
WHERE TO STAY
Bath offers a range of accommodation to suit all pockets and all ages. There are camping and caravan sites for people who prefer an outdoor holiday, hostels for younger people with less money to spend, guest houses and smart hotels for those who are looking for something more luxurious. A word of warning, however. Because Bath attracts so many visitors, it can be hard to find accommodation, especially in the summer, so it is a good idea to book well in advance.
