More properly called Bowness-on-Windermere, this lakeside town grew up as a tourist centre in the Victorian era when the railway arrived from Kendal. It is not the prettiest settlement in the Lake District, but it is the most practical base for getting out on the water, and that is really the point of being here.
The promenade along the lakeshore is the heart of town. From the main pier, Windermere Lake Cruises runs boats north to Waterhead (for Ambleside) and south to Lakeside, where you can connect with the Lakeside and Haverthwaite heritage railway. The Windermere Jetty Museum, which replaced the old Steamboat Museum in 2019, houses a collection of historic boats and offers a thoughtful look at how the lake has been used over the centuries.
The World of Beatrix Potter attraction draws families, but for something more rewarding, take the short ferry across to the western shore and walk to Hill Top, the farmhouse where Potter wrote many of her books. The house, run by the National Trust, is small and often busy, but the surrounding countryside is lovely. Back in Bowness, the old village around St Martin's Church predates the tourist boom and has more character than the main strip. Hole in t'Wall, the town's oldest pub, is a good place for a pint of local ale after a day on the lake.