The land of tea and beer is also a land of heritage and tradition and richly endowed with style and culture. And it's a land of scenic charms, too, from the rugged coastlines of Devon and Cornwall, through the green valleys of Wales and the romantic lakes of northern England to the majestic Scottish Highlands. And don't forget London, the world capital of theater, of fashion, of music; quite simply, the world's capital.
Britain is the most popular overseas destination for Americans, who are familiar with its history from schooldays and with its cultural buzz and lifestyle from today's movies, recordings and television. There's no language problem (apart from the occasional eccentric peculiarity of vocabulary) and, most important, Americans know that the English, Welsh and Scots are friendly and hospitable.
Traveling from the USA to Britain gets easier each year, as more transatlantic carriers add more services between US cities and gateways such as Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, as well as London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. And for those starting their trip in continental Europe, the Channel Tunnel makes central London just a three-hour train ride away from Paris and Brussels.
Britain is the most popular overseas destination for Americans, who are familiar with its history from schooldays and with its cultural buzz and lifestyle from today's movies, recordings and television. There's no language problem (apart from the occasional eccentric peculiarity of vocabulary) and, most important, Americans know that the English, Welsh and Scots are friendly and hospitable.
Traveling from the USA to Britain gets easier each year, as more transatlantic carriers add more services between US cities and gateways such as Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, as well as London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. And for those starting their trip in continental Europe, the Channel Tunnel makes central London just a three-hour train ride away from Paris and Brussels.
London, with its unrivaled range of museums and galleries, theaters and concert halls, top-notch stores and boutiques and daily displays of pomp and pageantry, is one of the most exciting cities in the world. Whether staying a few days or a few weeks, visitors will want to make sure they take in those "must see" places such as the Tower of London, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the British Museum.
For entertainment, visitors to London face a dazzling choice of the performing arts, on stage, in concert halls, pub theaters, and cabaret, jazz and comedy clubs. Try the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square for on-the-day theater bargains. For a fascinating glimpse of Elizabethan London catch a performance in Shakespeare's Globe in the Southwark district, a re-creation of the theater nearby where many of the Bard's plays made their debut.
There are five national parks in England's North Country, as well as historic towns and cities, literary shrines, cultural richness and diversity, stately homes and gardens and reminders of the region's industrial past. From Manchester, the region's most convenient gateway, it's an easy drive to the Lake District, Yorkshire Moors and Dales and the Northumberland coastline. Much of this countryside has inspired poets, painters and writers, such as William Wordsworth, J.W.M.Turner, the Brontes and Beatrix Potter.
The walled cities of York and Chester date back to the Roman occupation of Britain nearly 2,000 years ago. In the northeast, Durham's imposing cathedral and the Roman-built Hadrian's Wall are well worth discovering. Other cities, such as Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Leeds and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, have reminders of their industrial heritage and also boast a number of fine museums and art galleries and lively nightlife.
Central England embraces and the Peak District National Park, the mellow Cotswold Hills and the low coastal reaches of East Anglia. Living history museums tell the story of the region's industrial heritage, from the first iron bridge to the famed pottery of Josiah Wedgwood. The canals that were the super highways for moving the manufactured goods of the 18th and early 19th centuries now provide recreation and a leisurely way to explore the heart of Britain.
William Shakespeare's birthplace and the other Tudor houses in Stratford-upon-Avon attest to the town's importance during Elizabethan times and there are many black-and-white timber buildings in Shrewsbury and Ludlow in the county of Shropshire. Those familiar with John Constable's landscapes will recognize the villages of East Anglia which have changed little since he immortalized them on canvass 150 years ago.
Castles and gardens seem to dominate southern England, from the ruins of Tintagel in King Arthur's Cornwall to Windsor Castle, west of London, and Hever Castle in the southeast. Hever was where King Henry VIII courted his second wife Anne Boleyn, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Vita Sackville-West's remarkable garden at Sissinghurst and those of Bowood House and Stourhead Park in Wiltshire are among the finest in Britain.
The Devon and Cornwall coasts are dotted with delightful fishing villages and yachting harbors and inland there are brooding moors, such as Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor. The Neolithic stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury were already ancient when the Romans arrived in Britain and in the county of Hampshire ponies roam freely in the ancient New Forest, once the hunting ground of Norman kings. Among the more interesting islands off the coasts of southern England are the Isles of Scilly, reached by helicopter from Cornwall; the Isle of Wight, often called "England in miniature"; and the independent Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark, which are actually closer to France than England.
For entertainment, visitors to London face a dazzling choice of the performing arts, on stage, in concert halls, pub theaters, and cabaret, jazz and comedy clubs. Try the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square for on-the-day theater bargains. For a fascinating glimpse of Elizabethan London catch a performance in Shakespeare's Globe in the Southwark district, a re-creation of the theater nearby where many of the Bard's plays made their debut.
There are five national parks in England's North Country, as well as historic towns and cities, literary shrines, cultural richness and diversity, stately homes and gardens and reminders of the region's industrial past. From Manchester, the region's most convenient gateway, it's an easy drive to the Lake District, Yorkshire Moors and Dales and the Northumberland coastline. Much of this countryside has inspired poets, painters and writers, such as William Wordsworth, J.W.M.Turner, the Brontes and Beatrix Potter.
The walled cities of York and Chester date back to the Roman occupation of Britain nearly 2,000 years ago. In the northeast, Durham's imposing cathedral and the Roman-built Hadrian's Wall are well worth discovering. Other cities, such as Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Leeds and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, have reminders of their industrial heritage and also boast a number of fine museums and art galleries and lively nightlife.
Central England embraces and the Peak District National Park, the mellow Cotswold Hills and the low coastal reaches of East Anglia. Living history museums tell the story of the region's industrial heritage, from the first iron bridge to the famed pottery of Josiah Wedgwood. The canals that were the super highways for moving the manufactured goods of the 18th and early 19th centuries now provide recreation and a leisurely way to explore the heart of Britain.
William Shakespeare's birthplace and the other Tudor houses in Stratford-upon-Avon attest to the town's importance during Elizabethan times and there are many black-and-white timber buildings in Shrewsbury and Ludlow in the county of Shropshire. Those familiar with John Constable's landscapes will recognize the villages of East Anglia which have changed little since he immortalized them on canvass 150 years ago.
Castles and gardens seem to dominate southern England, from the ruins of Tintagel in King Arthur's Cornwall to Windsor Castle, west of London, and Hever Castle in the southeast. Hever was where King Henry VIII courted his second wife Anne Boleyn, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Vita Sackville-West's remarkable garden at Sissinghurst and those of Bowood House and Stourhead Park in Wiltshire are among the finest in Britain.
The Devon and Cornwall coasts are dotted with delightful fishing villages and yachting harbors and inland there are brooding moors, such as Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor. The Neolithic stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury were already ancient when the Romans arrived in Britain and in the county of Hampshire ponies roam freely in the ancient New Forest, once the hunting ground of Norman kings. Among the more interesting islands off the coasts of southern England are the Isles of Scilly, reached by helicopter from Cornwall; the Isle of Wight, often called "England in miniature"; and the independent Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark, which are actually closer to France than England.
Despite its compact size and proximity to neighboring England, Wales has a culture, history and language all its own. Among the most notable features of the Welsh landscape are its castles, more of them per square mile than anywhere else in Europe, it is said: the ruins of Harlech, Caernarfon, Conwy and Beaumaris, built during the 13th century; and the still-lived-in castles of Powis, with its elegant terraced gardens, and Chirk in North Wales.
A 12th century chronicle of Wales reports the natives' love of poetry and music and their natural gift of singing in harmony. This is still true today, as witnessed by the many festivals and musical gatherings held each year throughout Wales, and the local choirs which welcome visitors to sit in on their rehearsals. Cardiff, the capital, is home to the National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Dylan Thomas is probably the country's best-known poet, and his boathouse home in south-west Wales is now a museum devoted to his life and works.
Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh is dominated by its 12th century castle. Edinburgh's museums and galleries include the new Museum of Scotland, the National Gallery of Scotland and the National Portrait Gallery. The Palace at Holyroodhouse is Queen Elizabeth's official residence in Scotland and when she is not at home it is opened to visitors.
Each August, Edinburgh has its renowned international festival, while its rival Glasgow, Scotland's gateway from the USA, has Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and the Scottish National Orchestra in residence. A "must see" in Glasgow is the acclaimed Burrell Collection of paintings, art objects, furniture and ancient artifacts.
Castles and gardens in Scotland include Glamis (childhood home of the Queen Mother), Castle Urquhart on the shores of Loch Ness, and Drumlanrig Castle, nestled in the part of south-west Scotland where poet Robert Burns lived and worked. The distilleries of the Spey Valley in north-east Scotland make up the Malt Whisky Trail and everywhere in Scotland there is golf, most notably at St. Andrews on the east coast and Turnberry in the west.
A 12th century chronicle of Wales reports the natives' love of poetry and music and their natural gift of singing in harmony. This is still true today, as witnessed by the many festivals and musical gatherings held each year throughout Wales, and the local choirs which welcome visitors to sit in on their rehearsals. Cardiff, the capital, is home to the National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Dylan Thomas is probably the country's best-known poet, and his boathouse home in south-west Wales is now a museum devoted to his life and works.
Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh is dominated by its 12th century castle. Edinburgh's museums and galleries include the new Museum of Scotland, the National Gallery of Scotland and the National Portrait Gallery. The Palace at Holyroodhouse is Queen Elizabeth's official residence in Scotland and when she is not at home it is opened to visitors.
Each August, Edinburgh has its renowned international festival, while its rival Glasgow, Scotland's gateway from the USA, has Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and the Scottish National Orchestra in residence. A "must see" in Glasgow is the acclaimed Burrell Collection of paintings, art objects, furniture and ancient artifacts.
Castles and gardens in Scotland include Glamis (childhood home of the Queen Mother), Castle Urquhart on the shores of Loch Ness, and Drumlanrig Castle, nestled in the part of south-west Scotland where poet Robert Burns lived and worked. The distilleries of the Spey Valley in north-east Scotland make up the Malt Whisky Trail and everywhere in Scotland there is golf, most notably at St. Andrews on the east coast and Turnberry in the west.