Bath which is located in the county of Somerset, is a very popular destination for tourists in the UK and from all over the world, especially visitors from the USA. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the city of Bath boasts some of the most spectacular architectural buildings and sights in the world.
It is probably best known for its Roman Baths, with the city being established as a spa resort in AD43 and given the Latin name Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”). The Romans built these baths and also a temple on the surrounding hills, based around hot springs which are the only ones that occur naturally in the UK.
After receiving a £7.78 million grant from the Millennium Commission in 1997, the Bath Spa Project was launched. Its aim was to resurrect the city’s reason for being there in the first place – the naturally occurring thermal springs. Work was completed successfully and now visitors can enjoy the peace and relaxation of the Thermae Bath Spa experience using the same mineral-rich and warm waters the Romans were enjoying 2,000 years ago. The spa offers a range of treatments including massage, thermal treatments taking advantage of the natural thermal waters, hot stones therapy, Kraxen Stove and facials.
Another landmark of the city is the Royal Crescent, designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774. A feast for the eyes for any enthusiasts of Georgian architecture, this stunning collection of 30 houses laid out in a crescent is one of Bath’s most visited areas by tourists. These days, although the interiors have been changed, the façade remains relatively the same. As well as dwellings and office buildings, along this stretch there is a museum and also a very fine hotel - The Royal Crescent Hotel.
Bath is a mecca for shopping, as it has all the usual high street stores as well as many independent shops and unique boutiques. In fact Milsom Street was voted ‘Britain’s Best Fashion Street’ in the Google Street View Awards 2010. These are some of the shops you can find there:
• Jolly’s Department Store
• Vintage to Vogue – for period clothing
• Duo – specialises in ladies’ boots
• Kaliko – ladies fashion
• Vinegar Hill – homeware, fashion, jewellery and gifts
It also has a wide range of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars to appeal to all tastes. Jamie Oliver has a restaurant on Milsom Place, specialising in Italian food. Another excellent eatery is the Beaujolais Bistro, which was voted one of Britain’s top bars by the Independent Newspaper. It also has its own wine shop where customers can buy the wine after having a tipple.
Another renowned landmark in the city is Sally Lunns which is a world famous eating establishment and the building where it is located in is the oldest in Bath. Here the iconic Bath Bun was born, a speciality of the region which is known the world over. There is also a museum where you can see the actual kitchen that was used by the baker herself Sally Lunn, who created the first Bath buns.