Bath

Soothing, appropriately named Bath has a cleansing history

In 1702, Queen Anne made the trek from London (115 miles west) to the mineral springs of Bath, launching a fad that was to make the city the most celebrated spa in England. The 18th-century architects John Wood the Elder and his son designed a city of stone from the nearby hills, a feat so substantial and lasting that Bath today is Great Britain’s most harmoniously laid-out city. During Georgian and Victorian times, this city, on a bend of the River Avon, attracted leading political and literary figures, such as Dickens, Thackeray, Nelson, and Pitt. But even before its Queen Anne, Georgian, and Victorian popularity, Bath was known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis. The foreign legions founded the baths here—which you can still visit today—to ease rheumatism in their curative mineral springs.

Remarkable restoration and careful planning have ensured that Bath retains its handsome appearance. After undergoing major restoration in the postwar era, Bath now has somewhat of a museum look, with the attendant gift shops. Its parks, museums, and architecture draw hordes of travelers; it's one of the high points of the West Country.

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