Overview
Founded by the Romans and later a Viking capital, York packs two thousand years of history within its medieval walls, above all in the huge minster that rises over the rooftops. The tangle of old streets, chief among them the overhanging Shambles, is best explored on foot, and the walls can be walked for a circuit above the city. Compact and richly historic, it is an easy trip by train from London and a highlight of the north.
Highlights
York Minster, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe, dominates the city with its towers and stained glass. The medieval Shambles, its timber houses leaning over the lane, and the surviving city walls are the classic walks. The Jorvik centre brings the Viking city to life, and the National Railway Museum gathers the great engines of the age of steam.