Windermere is the gateway to the English Lake District and sits beside England's longest lake. The town itself is Victorian — it grew up around the railway station when the line arrived in 1847 — and the real action is down the hill in Bowness-on-Windermere, where steamers depart for cruises on the lake.
The lake stretches for seventeen kilometres through wooded hills, and the views across the water to the Langdale Pikes are some of the finest in England. Beatrix Potter lived nearby at Hill Top farm, now a National Trust property, and the World of Beatrix Potter attraction in Bowness draws families year-round. For walkers, Orrest Head above the town is a classic short climb with panoramic views, and the fells around Ambleside at the lake's northern end offer more serious hiking.
Windermere is the busiest part of the Lake District and gets very crowded in summer and on bank holidays. If you want solitude, head further into the national park — but for a first taste of the Lakes, this is where most people start. The Windermere Jetty Museum and the Claife Viewing Station on the western shore are both worth making time for.