England and North Wales

Cambridge enchants with its ancient courts and lawns sloping down to the river, home to one of the world's most prestigious universities. Its historic colleges, such as King's College with its spectacular Gothic chapel and fan vaulting, Trinity and St John's with its Bridge of Sighs, line up centuries-old façades along the River Cam. On the river you can go punting, gliding in flat-bottomed boats along the Backs, the idyllic gardens behind the colleges. The city also boasts the magnificent Fitzwilliam Museum, rich in art and antiquities, and a legendary scientific history tied to Newton and Darwin. Among bookshops, cafés, bicycles and markets in the central square, Cambridge breathes an intellectual, intimate air. A short way off await the villages and towns of the English countryside. Cambridge is a city where learning and beauty blend in perfect harmony.

York packs two thousand years of history within its medieval walls, the best preserved in England. Founded by the Romans as Eboracum and later the Viking capital of Jorvik, the city is dominated by the Gothic mass of York Minster, one of northern Europe's largest cathedrals, with vast medieval stained glass and a tower commanding the whole city. In its shadow winds The Shambles, a lane of timber-framed houses so overhanging they almost touch, now among the country's most photographed streets. Walking the ramparts offers glimpses of rooftops and fortified gates, the bars. The Viking past comes alive at the Jorvik Viking Centre, while the National Railway Museum celebrates Britain's railway epic with legendary locomotives. Among tearooms, historic pubs and chocolate shops — York has a long confectionery tradition — the city invites unhurried strolling. The banks of the River Ouse offer cruises and parks, and nearby stretch the moorlands of the North York Moors and the spa towns of Yorkshire. York is an open-air time machine, where every stone tells of a different civilisation.

Chester guards a Roman and medieval heritage of rare completeness, a city founded as a fortress by the legions of Rome on the banks of the River Dee. Its city walls, the most complete in England, can be walked in full, offering views over the town and the remains of the Roman amphitheatre, the largest in the country. In the centre appear the Rows, distinctive two-tiered shopping galleries with elevated walkways among the timber-framed houses, unique in the world, making shopping a picturesque experience. Chester Cathedral, with its splendid cloister, and the Eastgate Clock tower, among England's most photographed, complete the picture. Along the River Dee you can hire boats or stroll in the parks, while the famous Chester Zoo, one of the country's largest, delights families. Its position makes it an ideal base for exploring North Wales and the Cheshire region. Chester is an elegant, compact city where every age has left its mark.

Bristol blends a maritime past with creative fervour, a south-west English port city that has become an icon of independent culture and street art. Its centre revolves around the Floating Harbour, an old port turned into a lively area of museums, restaurants and boats, where the SS Great Britain is moored, the steamship designed by the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brunel also designed the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge, a daring span across the Avon Gorge and the city's emblem. Bristol is the home of the artist Banksy, whose murals dot the city's walls in an open-air gallery. Districts like Stokes Croft and Clifton offer cafés, markets and bohemian atmospheres, while the cathedral and medieval quarter tell the older story. Each year the city brightens with the spectacular hot-air Balloon Fiesta. A short way off await Bath, the Cheddar Gorge and the Somerset coast. Bristol is a young, rebellious city where tradition and innovation dance together.

Exeter holds two thousand years of history as the historic capital of Devon, a city founded by the Romans and once enclosed by sturdy walls. Its jewel is Exeter Cathedral, a fine example of English Gothic with the longest continuous ribbed vault in the world and a façade adorned with medieval statues. Around it, the wide lawn of Cathedral Green is ringed by cafés and historic houses. The city hides the mysterious medieval Underground Passages, open to visitors and unique in England, while the regenerated Quayside along the River Exe invites strolls, canoe hire and pub stops. Lively thanks to its university, Exeter blends historic atmosphere with youthful life, with markets, independent shops and a good food scene. From here you easily reach the Jurassic Coast, the moors of Dartmoor and the villages of Devon. Exeter is a welcoming, human-scaled city, a perfect gateway to England's south-west.

London is one of those metropolises that defies summary: a millennia-old capital of the United Kingdom, it spreads along both banks of the Thames and changes character with every district. Its monumental heart turns around Westminster, where the Palace of Westminster and the Big Ben clock tower face the Gothic Westminster Abbey, setting for royal coronations. A little further on lies St James's Park and, at the end of the Mall, Buckingham Palace with its famous Changing of the Guard. Heading east you reach Christopher Wren's domed St Paul's Cathedral and, on the river, the medieval Tower of London guarding the Crown Jewels, flanked by the iconic Tower Bridge. On the opposite bank, the South Bank lines up the London Eye, the Tate Modern set in a former power station and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The great museums are free and astonishing: the British Museum with the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon marbles, the National Gallery overlooking Trafalgar Square, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert in South Kensington. Shopping has its temples along Oxford Street and at Harrods and Liberty, while Covent Garden, Soho and Camden Market reveal a younger, more creative London. The West End lights up its musicals each evening and Notting Hill smells of vintage stalls along Portobello Road. The food is an atlas of the whole world, from the curries of Brick Lane to pubs serving fish and chips and a pint of ale, not forgetting the ritual of afternoon tea. Getting around is easy thanks to the Underground and the red double-decker buses. Within easy reach await unforgettable excursions: the royal gardens of Kew, Windsor Castle, Greenwich with its zero meridian. London is a city forever reinventing itself, suspended between royal tradition and contemporary energy.