Only 90 minutes from London, Bath is the perfect place for a weekend gateway. With its famous Georgian terraces, thermal spa waters, cream teas and Jane Austen – it’s so easy to fall in love with it. English charm pulls in visitors from all around the world and because it has so many historic buildings, the entire city has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Last weekend we decided to explore this beautiful place and as I had never been before we wanted to fill our day with as much as possible.
Eating:
Hunter & Sons
This place is famous for their balance of craft beers, light bites, coffee and cakes but they also have an amazing brunch menu which is available until 4pm. Another advantage is that it’s secluded and therefore not touristy which is great for a relaxing lunch. The staff are also very friendly which creates an atmosphere that is super chilled and welcoming.
14/15 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ
Society Cafe
Coffee shop culture is big in Bath so it was very hard to choose a place for an afternoon rest. We happened to walk past ‘The Corridor’, opposite the Guildhall and couldn’t resist popping in after seeing the lovely frontage and eye-catching bar. The cafe is very light, has a very relaxing feel and the coffee is as great as the cake menu.
Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB
Shopping
Magellaria
This place is a magazine-lovers dream! Here you’ll find those hard-to-track-down titles and discover many new magazines. From art and design to fashion, travel, music and film – the choice is overwhelming.
22A Broad St, Bath BA1 5LN
The Foodie Bugle
This shop is absolutely the cutest in Bath. They stock absolutely beautiful items for the home, as well as food and drink. You can relax here with a cup of tea and piece of cake, but also attend a variety of different workshops in their space upstairs, featuring photography, embroidery, houseplant workshops and more.
http://www.thefoodiebugleshop.com
2 Abbey St, Bath BA1 1NN
Sight Seeing
If you are one of those people who like to avoid tourist traps, it will be hard to avoid them in Bath. You will probably stumble upon some of the sites during the day and they are completely free, but then there are those that are a little bit costly.
The Roman Baths is one of those. The first baths were built here in 70AD and over a million liters of 46°C water still flow into them every day. You can take a tour around the ruins of the Great Bath and the temple of Sulis Minerva. Don’t try the water from the bath itself though as the water is not processed but you will have an opportunity to try the warm spring water at the end of the tour (Although the experience is not the greatest because water has a strong iron taste). It costs £17 (adult) or £15(senior/students) to gain entry to the baths but they are worth seeing.
One of my favorite spots was the Royal Crescent, one of the most famous Bath landmarks. These Georgian houses laid out in a crescent were built in the 1700s and haven’t changed a lot. Most are private residences when they’re not being used by film crews for period dramas, but Number 1 Royal Crescent has been turned into as a museum. You can go back in time to the 18th century inside and see how the Georgians lived.
Just a stones throw away is a similar row of houses called Circus where the houses are positioned in a circle but with the same Charles Dickens novel feeling.
We also took a walk along Pulteney Bridge. It’s one of the few bridges which has shops built into the sides and the facade is still very well preserved.
If the weather is good you can take a boat trip along the River Avon or have a picnic in the Parade Gardens which are just next to the river.
Other Places: Fashion Museum|Jane Austen Center| Bath Abbey| Sally Lunn’s Bath|Prior Park Landscape Garden|
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