Travel in Canterbury
Canterbury is the most famous and the oldest of England's cathedral towns with a rich history, but it's also a busy market town. Canterbury rewards its visitors well, both those looking for a religious experience and those who enjoy a sense of history. And so it should, Canterbury has been in existence for 2000 years. It was the famous martyrdom of the archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 and his canonization in 1173 that transformed Canterbury, drawing pilgrims from all over Europe to the shrine dedicated to 'the holy blissful martyr'. Two hundred years later, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his colorful and highly scurrilous description of these pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Canterbury suffered badly in World War II with the Luftwaffe bombing the south-east side of the town. Some claim that the rebuilding was almost as disastrous, with uneven conservation and modernization in the 1950s. But there's still a lot left, from medieval buildings like the Hospital of St. Thomas founded in 1180 for poor pilgrims, to the later old wood-framed Weavers' Houses overlooking the river, occupied by French Hugenot weavers in the 1680s. And it's enclosed by a splendid city wall and gates which have remained surprisingly intact. Central Canterbury has been pedestrianized and the best way to enjoy the sights is to walk. Stroll from one attraction to another, get a picnic or snack from one of the many shops and sit by the river or the old city wall. Courtesy of the British Tourist Authority
Travel in Canterbury Attractions
GeoPassage tours offers multitudes of travel opportunities, Canterbury is just one of the many cities we offer day tours and individual attractions to, be sure to check out our entire catalog.
