Bath is one of England's most beautiful cities — a UNESCO World Heritage Site built from honey-coloured limestone, set in a bowl of green hills in Somerset. The city takes its name from the Roman baths built here between the first and fourth centuries AD around the natural hot springs that still bubble up at 46°C.
The Roman Baths are the star attraction, remarkably well-preserved and atmospheric. But Bath's golden age came in the eighteenth century, when it became the fashionable spa destination for English high society. The architecture from this period is extraordinary: the Royal Crescent, the Circus, Pulteney Bridge spanning the Avon — all in that distinctive warm stone. The modern Thermae Bath Spa lets you bathe in the same thermal water on a rooftop pool overlooking the city skyline.
Bath is compact and walkable, with excellent restaurants, independent shops, and the Theatre Royal (one of the oldest in England). It is an easy day trip from London (90 minutes by train) but rewards a longer stay.