Welcome to York

There are few places in Britain that can rival the magical beauty of York, a compact old city encircled by three miles of medieval wall and honeycombed with a maze of medieval streets and hidden alleyways - all with fascinating stories.

The four main entrances to the city centre are still dominated by the imposing great 'bars' or gates of Bootham, Micklegate, Monkgate and Walmgate.

Its grandeur and surpassing beauty attracts visitors from all over the world

There are also many other historic buildings, museums and other reminders of York's past (See 'Historic York' section). But these are only part of York's many attractions. The compact city centre provides tempting shops of all types and a thriving open air market and, to add to the pleasure of browsing and buying, the whole area is free of traffic for most of the shopping day, Sunday is included.

Food and drink are an essential part of every visit and you will find plenty to choose from in York. There are restaurants catering for almost every taste, plus a wide range of friendly cafes. As for pubs, you will be spoilt for choice and most of them serve good Yorkshire fare as well as traditional drinks, including locally brewed ales.