A whimsical mix of cobblestone streets, historical sites, and romantic architectural styles, Bath is a British city famed for its history and natural hot springs. It’s also the only destination in the UK where the entire city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
But there’s another side to Bath, ranging from Jane Austin to Frankenstein, Bridgerton to Lunn Buns, and hot air ballooning to paddleboarding on the Avon. Better still, it can all be discovered in just 48 hours:
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The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a stunning five-star luxury hotel with a unique twist. Built in a Regency architectural style, it centres around its own naturally-heated pools with direct access from several rooms – meaning guests can run a bath with the mineral-rich thermal waters.
DAY ONE
09:00 – Hit the spa: Any weekend in Bath must start with a visit to the Thermae Bath Spa. Arrive early to beat the crowds and make your way to the open-air rooftop pool, where you can bathe in mineral-rich waters heated to 33.5-degrees Celsius, all the while enjoying panoramic views of Bath.
11.30 – Try the healing waters: Once you’ve dried off, it’s a short walk to the Roman Baths, one of the city’s best-known historic attractions. You can no longer bathe in these waters, as they haven’t been treated, but you can tour the site and learn about its fascinating history. Visit the Pump Rooms afterwards for a bite to eat, and to sample treated mineral-rich spa water, which is thought to have healing properties.
14:00 – Get crafty: After lunch, try some glassblowing at Bath Aqua Glass where you can watch a demonstration from the experts before trying to blow your very own glass bauble.
16:00 – Fashion through the ages: Style your way through the Fashion Museum and its collection of historic clothing, including replica Georgian and Victorian outfits that visitors can try on. On the first Saturday of each month, the museum also runs a sketching class (free with museum entrance – sketchbooks and pencils included).
20:00 – In for a laugh?: Book a space on the Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk. This popular 90-minute walking tour departs each evening at 8pm and offers a lighthearted, alternative look at the heritage city. Prepare for stunts, jokes, and lots of laughs.
DAY TWO
10.00 – City tour: After breakfast, jump on a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ City Sightseeing bus for a relaxing tour of the city’s must-see attractions, including Bath Abbey, the Abbey Cemetery, and the architectural splendour of Bath’s Royal Crescent.
12.30 – Bath baked delights: You’ll have worked up an appetite, so stop for lunch at Sally Lunn’s famed ‘eating house’, one of the oldest buildings in the city and home to the famous Bath Bun. It’s named after a French girl called Sally (real name, Solange) who worked in the bakery kitchen in the 1660s and created a soft, fluffy brioche-style bread that locals fell in love with. Today, the ‘Sally Lunn Bun’ – still made from the original recipe – can be enjoyed with a selection of sweet or savoury toppings.
14.30 – Tea and talks: Pop into the Jane Austen Centre and learn all about Bath’s most famous former resident. Enjoy the talks, displays and activities centred on the author’s celebrated works, then stop for a cup of tea at the Regency Tea Room, where staff serve you in period costume.
17:00 – Bridging the gap: Wander along Pulteney Bridge, considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and one of just a handful with shops built into the design — there are worse places to browse for gifts than among these specialist shops and boutiques.
Extra time or different interests? There’s much much, more:
ICONS WITH A TWIST
Bridgerton tour: An unmissable tour for all Bridgeton lovers, this two-hour tour will promenade through Bath’s beautiful and historic streets, while taking in the sights and stories from Bridgeton’s filming. Points of interest to look out for include the Featherington’s house, Madame Delacroix’s shop and Lady Danbury’s house, all while headphones serenade with the music and sounds of the hit series. The tour through Bath’s cobbled streets is a leisurely one with plenty of time for photo opportunities and taking in the views, as well as stopping to hear about some behind-the-scenes gossip of the series and the filming process.
Shoephoria, The Fashion Museum: A world-class selection of more than 100 pairs of shoes from The Fashion Museum’s collection will be on display through April. The Shoephoria exhibition features highlights from the museums 3,000 pair collection will demonstrate the evolution of shoe design over the last 300 years –from some of the oldest pairs from Queen Mary to more modern examples by Vivienne Westwood and Jimmy Choo.
Tivoli: A unique cinematic experience, merging arthouse films with a mouth-watering café and bar menu, Tivoli is truly a place to be immersed in alternate realities where guests can enjoy watching a film unfold with a cocktail in hand and lounging on sofas. Tivoli is designed with interior clearly as a main focus, and excellent state-of-the-art laser projection and audio-visual technology, the experience will redefine one’s classic trip to the pictures.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein: Extending over four atmospheric floors, including their dank foreboding basement, guests can visit the house which explores the author and her greatest creation, in the city in which she lived and wrote the majority of the gothic story. They can immerse themselves in Mary Shelley’s complex and often tragic past and uncover the true story behind the world’s favourite monster, maybe even come face-to-face with all 2.5 metres of him.
Komedia: The Grade II listed former Beau Nash cinema is Bath’s first community- owned venue dedicated solely to live entertainment. Komedia Bath offers an unparalleled program of comedy, music, cabaret, kids’ events and club nights with a number of famous faces having already taken centre stage there. Formerly, Komedia was The Bath Electric Theatre which opened in late 1910 and just 10 years later had closed and re-opened as the Beau Nash Picture Theatre with a Classical style in the local Bath stone. Today, the venue seats an audience size up to 780 seats, and also houses the Electric Bar – an intimate live performance space and bar serving street food favourites and local beers and ciders.
Soul Spa: Situated in Bath’s historic Spa Quarter right above the healing springs, The Soul Spa offers a range of wellbeing therapies created to manage guests’ mental health. Therapies include physical and mental healing experiences such as sound baths and a quantum field experience, as well as more classic ones such as Swedish massages and facials.
CULINARY
Savouring Bath Tour: Continuously one of the highest rated food tours in the UNESCO World Heritage City, Savouring Bath offers a range of walking tours from local delicacies to guilty pleasures. Along the way participants enjoy visits to contemporary teahouses, expert cheese mongers, award-winning bakeries and many other foodie delights, as well as see the historic streets and sights of Bath. The local tour guides will share their experience of Bath’s foodie goodness along with some of the city’s hidden history and anecdotal tales, of course, visitors will get to try some of the yumminess too.
The Pump Room: The picturesque Georgian restaurant attached to the Roman Baths, is the ultimate for Afternoon Tea in the city. The Georgian Pump Room has been the social heart of Bath for more than two centuries, with previous guests including the likes of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.
Hall & Woodhouse: Originally an auction house built in the 1960’s, Hall & Woodhouse is a stunning bar and restaurant in the heart of the city which was voted a must-see by the Mail on Sunday. The restaurant also boasts a gorgeous and green roof terrace with views the city’s historic streets.
The Walcot House: Set in an old bakery on Walcot Street, the venue is an all-in-one stylish restaurant, cocktail bar, and club. The Walcot, their restaurant, differentiates by using local produce such as fish from Cornwall and vegetables from Wiltshire and Somerset. Bread and Jam is their intimate table service cocktail bar in the arches beneath the restaurant and bar.
www.walcothousebath.com
OUTDOORS IN THE CITY
The Original wild Stand up paddle boarding: With exclusive access to the River Avon, the Original Wild SUP club teachers take visitors on a water side adventure through the city into central Bath. This outdoor experience requires bravery and balance, while paddling past historic bridges, alongside wildlife and to some of the most stunning views of the city, ones which will be enviable to those on foot.
Hot Air Ballooning: Experience the city like never before, fly over the Royal Crescent, Victoria Park, and surrounding lush countryside. Bath’s Hot air balloon rides offer a bird’s-eye view of the whole city. A perfect way to see the city from new heights.
Bath’s Spy Mission Treasure Trail: A series of self-guided walking tours for your inner adventurer to uncover the winding backstreets and hidden stories around Bath. The challenges available include the spy mission and treasure trail, combining mind-twisting clues and fascinating stories. Visitors will enjoy walking a couple of miles around the world heritage city, seeing some secret and iconic sights, and working closely in teams bringing loved ones closer than before.
The City Farm: Bath City Farm is a whole lot more than a play park and city farm, with sustainable and community efforts high on their priorities list. Situated on a beautiful 15-hectare plot in Bath, the farm is a popular visitor attraction with its play park, farm animals, walking trails, farm shop and café. Farm-grown vegetables, fruits, flowers and farm-reared meat can be found for sale in the farm and garden shop, offering locals and visitors a great local shopping and produce opportunity.
Adventure Golf: Open all year round, this 18-hole adventure golf course is situated on the edge of the 19th century Victoria Park and follows round some beautiful trees, flowers, and streams, with each season visible and bringing a new look and feel to different parts of the course.
HOW TO GET THERE
Bath is in the county of Somerset in southwest England. The city is approximately a two-and-a-half-hour drive west of London, or one-and-a-half hours by train from London Paddington. The nearest airport is Bristol; shuttle buses run from the airport to the centre of Bath.
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