Here are some great reasons to stay at properties in York, that is apart from our best value rates. York's history may be long and varied but it is present and future are equally fascinating. York is a delightful city, known as a jewel in the north's crown and has long been thought of as one of the cultural capitals of the UK. Having been conquered and fought over by the Romans, the Danes, the Anglo Saxons, and later the Royalists and the Roundheads in the Civil War, York is something of a living museum to this area's storied past. Naturally, that means there is a wealth of charming and attractive places to visit, all served by some super value properties in York that should keep anyone interested in the heritage of old England fascinated for hours.
Almost every visit to York starts with the inimitable Minster which has surprisingly close properties in York at some pretty amazing rates. This is the largest medieval cathedral in northern Europe, and certainly one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings in the world, surrounded by equally picturesque properties in York. The architecture on display here is sure to take your breath away, but it is also an ideal example of the ecclesiastical influence on York. For example, the first church here was a simple wooden chapel built in 627 to baptise King Edwin of Northumbria, while later a Roman basilica was built, then a Norman minster in the 11th century, and still later the beginnings of the cathedral we see now. It was built over an exceedingly long period - between 1220 and 1480 to be exact - but this has allowed the church to take in all the major styles in Gothic architectural development.
You can also find properties in York close to other attractions with a slightly different taste of York's history, head even further back in time at Jorvik, York's hands-on, immersive experience of all things Viking. With interactive multimedia exhibitions complete with the sights and smells (yes, smells) of 9th century life, this museum is a great hit with children and families but provides ample distractions for visitors of any age.
In a similar vein to Jorvik, Dig allows visitors to become 'archaeological detectives' by sifting through the York's past and discovering its many secrets. Here too, there are an abundance of properties in York serving this and the nearby York museum, however, is the National Railway Museum, which, far from being the boring, fusty memorial to the rails that you might imagine is a gleaming homage to one of the modern world's greatest inventions.
Much of the joy of visiting York can be found in simply wandering its crooked alleyways and narrow streets. Surrounded by its very own medieval walls, the city centre has atmosphere oozing from every brick, and nowhere more so than The Shambles. Looking like something out of Harry Potter, The Shambles is a narrow cobblestone lane with overhanging Tudor shop fronts and buildings and the odd B&B in York, and is easily one of the most attractive streets in Britain, and almost definitely one of the most visited in Europe.
