England

The Cotswolds are the England you imagine when you close your eyes and think of the English countryside. A gently rolling hill landscape in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, crisscrossed by dry stone walls, inhabited by sheep, and dotted with villages made of honey-colored Cotswold limestone that have remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

The most beautiful villages:

• Bibury — William Morris called it "the most beautiful village in England." The Arlington Row — a row of stone weavers' cottages from the 14th century — is the most photographed scene in the Cotswolds. The crystal-clear River Coln flows beside it. It doesn't get more idyllic
• Castle Combe — Often voted "the most beautiful village in Britain": a single street winding through perfect stone houses to the medieval market cross and church. Filming locations for Stardust and War Horse
• Bourton-on-the-Water — The "Venice of the Cotswolds" with shallow stone bridges over the River Windrush. In summer, children splash in the crystal-clear water. More touristy than other villages, but deservedly popular
• Stow-on-the-Wold — Historic market town on a hill with the largest market square in the Cotswolds. The north door of St. Edward's Church, framed by ancient yews, inspired Tolkien's Doors of Moria
• Chipping Campden — The northernmost Cotswolds gem: a main street with terraced houses from the 17th century, glowing golden in the evening light. Start of the Cotswold Way (164 km long-distance trail)

The Cotswolds are an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) — not a national park, but strictly protected. Best explored by rental car, but the Cotswold Way (Chipping Campden to Bath, 164 km) is also a fantastic long-distance trail.

Bath is one of the most elegant cities in Europe — a UNESCO World Heritage site made of honey-colored limestone, where the Romans bathed 2,000 years ago, the Georgians created England's finest architecture, and Jane Austen set her novels of high society.

The absolute highlight: the Roman Baths. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Romans discovered the hot springs (46 °C, over 1 million liters per day) and built a monumental bathing complex — temple, baths, and social meeting point. The excavation is spectacularly preserved: you walk on Roman paving, see the lead pipes of the water supply, and the steaming, greenish shimmering Great Bath. The museum next door displays Roman everyday objects, curse tablets (curses the Romans threw into the spring water), and a gilded bronze bust of the goddess Minerva.

The Georgian architecture of Bath is unique: The Royal Crescent — a majestically curved crescent of 30 terraced houses, built in 1774 — is the finest example of Georgian architecture in all of England. No. 1 Royal Crescent is set up as a museum. Next to it, the Circus (circular row of houses) and the Pulteney Bridge — one of only three inhabited bridges in the world (like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence).

For those who want to get into the warm water themselves: The Thermae Bath Spa (£40, 2h) offers a modern thermal bath with a rooftop pool, from which you can look over the skyline of Bath — natural hot thermal water, fed by the same spring the Romans used.

Stonehenge is one of humanity's greatest mysteries. On the vast Salisbury Plain stand gigantic stone blocks, transported from up to 250 kilometers away and erected with astronomical precision 5,000 years ago — without wheels, metal, or writing, impressing modern engineers.

The outer sarsen stones (up to 25 tons) come from Marlborough, 30 km away, but the inner bluestones (up to 4 tons) were brought from the Preseli Hills in Wales — 250 kilometers over land and water. Why? No one knows for sure. Burial site, temple, astronomical observatory, healing site — Stonehenge does not reveal its secrets.

What we do know: At the summer solstice (June 21), the first ray of sunlight falls exactly through the stone axis — proof that the builders understood the movement of celestial bodies. On this day, Stonehenge is freely accessible, and thousands gather at sunrise — Druids, hippies, tourists, and the curious in a unique mix.

The regular visit keeps visitors on a path at a distance from the stones. For those who want to get closer: The Stone Circle Access Tour (englishheritage.org.uk, £47, only at sunrise or sunset, strictly limited) allows you to step between the stones and touch them. Book months in advance!

Oxford — The "City of Dreaming Spires"

Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world (since 1096!) and one of England's most beautiful cities. 38 colleges are spread across the city — each its own world of medieval courtyards (Quads), Gothic chapels, and manicured lawns that only Fellows may walk on.

The highlights:

• Bodleian Library — One of the oldest libraries in Europe. The Divinity School (15th century) served as the hospital wing in the Harry Potter films
• Christ Church College — The largest and most famous college: The Great Hall inspired Hogwarts' Great Hall. Lewis Carroll taught mathematics here and invented Alice in Wonderland
• Radcliffe Camera — The iconic round library building, the most photographed building in Oxford
• Ashmolean Museum — The oldest public museum in the world (1683). Free!
• Punting on the Cherwell — Punting on the river: the most academic form of transportation. Try it yourself (£20/hour) or be chauffeured

Cambridge — The Rival

Cambridge (founded in 1209 when Oxford scholars fled after a dispute) is Oxford's eternal rival — smaller, greener, and perhaps even more photogenic. The Backs — the backs of the colleges on the River Cam — offer one of the most beautiful city views in England.

The highlights:

• King's College Chapel — The largest Gothic fan-vaulted chapel in the world. The fan vaulting is so perfect it looks unreal. The Christmas service (broadcast by the BBC) is famous worldwide
• Punting on the Cam — The most famous punting route in the world: under the Mathematical Bridge, the Bridge of Sighs, and past King's College
• Fitzwilliam Museum — Excellent art museum, free
• The Eagle Pub — Here, Watson and Crick announced the discovery of the DNA structure in 1953. On the ceiling: graffiti by RAF pilots from World War II

The Lake District in Cumbria (Northwest England) is England's most beautiful national park — a labyrinth of 16 lakes (locally: "Meres" and "Waters"), wooded valleys, and mountain peaks (Fells) rising up to 978 meters (Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain). UNESCO World Heritage since 2017.

Here, William Wordsworth wrote his most famous poems — "I wandered lonely as a cloud" was inspired by a walk among the daffodils at Ullswater. Beatrix Potter lived at Hill Top Farm near Hawkshead and was inspired by the landscape for Peter Rabbit. Arthur Ransome set "Swallows and Amazons" at Coniston Water.

The highlights:

• Windermere — England's largest lake (17 km long). Boat trips, charming lakeside towns (Bowness, Ambleside), steamship rides
• Grasmere — Wordsworth's village. Visit Dove Cottage (his home), then try England's most famous gingerbread at Sarah Nelson's Gingerbread Shop
• Keswick — Gateway to the northern Lake District. Derwentwater is the most beautiful lake — a boat tour (10.50 £) with seven landing stages circles it
• Helvellyn — The most dramatic peak: The ridge walk over Striding Edge is England's most famous mountain ridge — narrow, exposed, unforgettable (only for experienced hikers)
• Buttermere — The "quiet lake": less touristy than Windermere, surrounded by an easy 7-km walking trail with fantastic reflections

Cornwall at England's southwestern tip feels like another country — and in some ways, it was. The Cornish had their own Celtic language (which is being revived today), their own flag (white cross on a black background), and an identity that stands apart from England. Today, Cornwall is Britain's most popular summer destination: dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters reminiscent of Caribbean beaches, and a creative scene that attracts London gallery owners.

• St Ives — Once a fishing village, now an artist colony with the Tate St Ives (a branch of the London Tate, overlooking the beach) and galleries on every corner. Porthmeor Beach looks Caribbean in the sun
• Padstow — Rick Stein has turned this fishing village into a culinary hotspot. His Seafood Restaurant is legendary, but the Fish & Chips from the takeaway at the harbor are just as good (and affordable)
• Tintagel Castle — The cliff-top ruin is said to be King Arthur's birthplace. The new bridge over the chasm is spectacular. Myth and reality merge
• Eden Project — Two gigantic geodesic domes in a former kaolin quarry house tropical and Mediterranean plant worlds. Architecturally stunning
• South West Coast Path — England's longest hiking trail (1,014 km!) follows the entire coast of Cornwall and Devon. Individual stages (e.g., St Ives → Zennor, 10 km) are fantastic day hikes
• Minack Theatre — An open-air theater carved into the rock above the Atlantic. Shakespeare's Tempest with the real ocean as a backdrop — unforgettable

York — The Medieval Gem

York is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. The almost completely intact city wall (5 km walkable!) surrounds a labyrinth of winding alleys — the most famous is The Shambles, a narrow medieval street with overhanging timber-framed houses that inspired J.K. Rowling's Diagon Alley.

The York Minster — Northern Europe's largest Gothic cathedral — dominates the skyline. The Great East Window (as large as a tennis court!) is the largest medieval glass window in the world. Climbing the Central Tower (275 steps) offers the best view over the city and the wide Yorkshire.

The Jorvik Viking Centre tells York's Viking history (York was called Jórvík) with a time-travel ride through the reconstructed Viking village — including authentic smells. Betty's Tea Rooms (since 1919) serves the best afternoon tea outside London — with a queue at the door.

Liverpool — Beatles, Football & Waterfront

Liverpool has transformed from industrial decline to one of England's most exciting cities. The Albert Dock (UNESCO World Heritage) is the centerpiece: restored Victorian warehouses house the Tate Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, and the Beatles Story Museum.

For Beatles fans, Liverpool is a pilgrimage site: Penny Lane, Strawberry Field (the former children's home site is now an exhibition), The Cavern Club on Mathew Street (where the Beatles performed 292 times — the club is a replica, but the atmosphere is right). The Magical Mystery Tour (bus, £22, 2h) visits all the important Beatles sites — including the childhood homes of John and Paul (National Trust, only accessible by tour).

Football: Anfield (Liverpool FC) and Goodison Park (Everton FC) are only a mile apart. The Anfield Stadium Tour (£25) is impressive even for non-football fans — singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" under the famous Shankly Gates gives you goosebumps.