Why is Bath so popular

Asks esmeharrison

A. Bath is one of the most picturesque cities in the UK - and among the top ten tourist locations in the country. It is best known for its hot springs, sweeping crescents with town houses built in Bath stone and Georgian buildings.

Some of its main sights include the following:

Roman Baths: located in front of Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths are the main tourist attraction here and a hot spring still runs through the centre of the site. Admission to the baths is expensive at 9 but you do get to see a lot, the main attractions include the Great Bath, the Circular Bath, the King's Bath and part of the Temple of Minerva. You'll also find an abundance of Roman statues, grand pillars, coins and jewellery on display.

Pump Room: located next to the baths, this was the social hub of the Georgian spa community and today is a popular restaurant and tearoom, which boasts views of the baths.

Bath Abbey dates back to the 15th Century in its present form (a church has been on the site since the 7th Century) and is a good place to start any historical tour of the city.

Jane Austen Centre: located on Gay Street near to where Austen used to live, this is a good place for any Austen fans to visit as she wrote two novels in the city.

Royal Crescent: is the grandest and most famous of Bath's crescents and consists of 30 splendid houses arranged in an arc. No 1 Royal Crescent has been restored to reflect its Georgian origins.

Royal Victoria Park: is located at the bottom of Royal Crescent and is the city’s biggest green space, it contains some beautiful botanical gardens.

The Circus or Queen Square: was designed by John Wood and consists of three crescents arranged in a circle of three-storey houses, with a carved frieze around it.

Art Galleries: Some of the best in the city include The Victoria Art Gallery (Bath's largest gallery); the Royal Photographic Society (Milsom Street) which showcases international contemporary photography and traces the history and technology of the art; the Hotbath Gallery, owned by the City of Bath College.

Theatres: The main theatre in Bath is the Theatre Royal, which dates back to 1805 and often plays host to West End hits. The Ustinov Theatre is the home of more experimental theatre, while the Rondo Theatre is the home of the Bath Fringe Festival as well as other professional and amateur productions.

Environment: Bath is well known in the UK for its environmental conscience - this can be witnessed in many places throughout the city. Walcott Street is full of reclamation and environment-friendly shops e.g. the Green Stationery Company, Harvest Wholefoods and One Less Car Hire (a rickshaw taxi service). At Green Park Station you can visit Envolve, Bath's environment centre or visit its Farmers Market (the first in the UK) and the best place to buy locally produced food and drink.

Museums: The Museum of Costume's collection ranges from the Stuart era to 21st Century Japanese designs. The Building of Bath Museum traces the historical and architectural history of Bath, while the Museum of Bath at Work shows the industrial past of the city. The Holburne Museum specialises in arts and crafts (including paintings, one by Gainsborough is housed here) while the Museum of East Asian Art contains over a thousand artefacts. The William Hershel Museum celebrates the discovery of the planet Uranus from Bath.

Microworld is a new museum full of microscopic sculptures that has had a lot of press coverage lately – some of its main features include Adam & Eve carved in the lead of a pencil; the Statue of Liberty in the eye of a needle; Lennox Lewis v. Evander Holyfield on the head of nail; the President's heads at Mount Rushmore carved on a match head; and the "Venus of the Mirror" by Valasquez painted on a shirt button.

Q. Is Bath within easy reach of the rest of the country

A. By train it takes about one and a half hours from London Paddington to reach Bath Spa, so yes it is easy to reach. First Great Western operate this service, while Virgin Cross Country will take you to Bath from further south e.g. Penzance. Information on all train services is available online from Railtrack at www.railtrack.co.uk. Information on coach services to Bath is available from www.gobycoach.com, while information on all local bus services is available at www.firstbadgerline.co.uk/banes.htm.

If you wish to visit Bath on holiday check out www.bath.co.uk first as it provides a virtual tour of the city, a what’s on guide, accommodation listing, restaurant recommendations and maps.

When you are in Bath, the Tourist Information office is located in the Abbey Churchyard and is open from 9.30am-5.00pm Monday-Saturday and from 10am-4.00pm on Sundays.

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By Karen Anderson