Bath is a city in Great Britain. Bath, UK - Tourist. Millsom Street and many others

The main British resort on the waters, in the 18th century. Having eclipsed other cities with its sophistication and elegance, Bath considers the date of its birth to be 850 BC. e., when, according to legend, King Bladud, having contracted leprosy, became an outcast swineherd. Noticing how his pigs escaped the itch in the warm springs that abounded in the surrounding limestone hills, he followed their example and soon recovered. When around 44 AD. e. The first Romans appeared in Britain, local residents were already treated in the springs. They built a temple and a complex of baths here over one of the three hot springs and called the city that formed around the baths Aqua Sulis.

After the Romans left here, sufferers continued to come to the healing waters of Bath. The city truly came into fashion after 1704, when the position of master of ceremonies, the chief judge in matters of taste and style, was given to the “handsome” Richard Nash (1674-1762), who became a trendsetter. Balls, parties, and all kinds of entertainment, including gambling, began to be held here. As a result, Bath has become the most fashionable place for meetings, flirting and matchmaking in Britain.

To the south of the resort, at Coombe Da-un, Ralph Allen opened quarries and covered the elegant squares with golden Bathstone.

A monastery was founded here in the 10th century, but the abbey we know today appeared only in the 16th century. Medieval Bath was a thriving wool trading city as well as a religious center - but it was not until the 18th century that the city became a fashionable resort.

What to see

The Royal Crescent is a magnificent complex of Georgian houses in the shape of a crescent, built in 1767-1775. From here you can walk to Circus Square, which is surrounded by 30 beautifully preserved city mansions. Memorial plaques remind us that many famous people lived here, including David Livingstone and Clive of India.

The Museum of the Roman Baths allows you to get acquainted with the history of the Roman complex located here - you can even explore the ruins of an ancient temple or drink water in the pump room. Part of the complex has recently been restored and turned into a modern spa resort.

Other attractions in Bath:

Baht (Bath)- This an ancient English city located in the county of Somerset. It is known throughout the world for its radiant resorts, mineral waters, buildings from the times of classicism and enlightenment, and the ruins of Roman baths. Famous novels took place in Bath; famous writers and artists lived here in different eras. The city is listed by UNESCO as a cultural heritage.

A little history

Hot thermal springs, for which the city is best known, were found on the territory in the early 1st century AD. Initially, the local waters attracted the attention of the Romans, then the Angles and Normans. They developed the village, expanded the abbey, and eventually made it a royal residence at the beginning of the 13th century. The local economy was based on trade in textiles and wool.

By the 19th century, Bath's "Roman thermal baths" became popular not only among the English nobility. London dandies became regulars at this fashionable, expensive resort. Richard Nash loved to come here to relax. In many ways, the mood of such guests influenced the appearance of the city - it became the center of the Palladinism trend, fashionable at that time. The graceful Pulteney Bridge was designed and built by Robert Adam.

For celebrities and aristocrats, Bath was not only a place where they could relax physically. Here the intelligentsia drew various ideas for their creativity. For example, the heroes of many Jane Austen novels lived, fell in love and died in Bath. The life of the city is most fully and colorfully described in Sheridan's plays, and the actions of the ironic novel “Posthumous Notes of the Pickwin Club” by Dickens often took place near the “Roman baths”.

Now Bath is, first of all, a tourist city, where there are a large number of comfortable hotels, sanatoriums and guest houses.

Geography and climate

Bath is located on the River Avon, in Somerset. The climate is temperate, the distribution of precipitation is relatively uniform. Winters are mild and rainy, and summers are hot. The average temperature in the warm season is about +26°C, and in the cold season +2°C. Doctors note that the optimal time for a recreational holiday in Bath is winter and early spring.

Demography

Bath's population is approximately 90 thousand people. The proportion of the native British population in Bath is higher than the national average at over 97%.

Attractions:

There are many interesting places in Bath. Bath is a tourist city, so there are no problems with the availability of transport and free places in the excursion group. However, if you decide to create your own sightseeing itinerary, be sure to find out the full history of the places you want to visit. The list should include:

Roman baths

These hot springs are already two thousand years old. There are four of them in Bath, the average temperature in each is about 46°C. Experts say that the healing power of the springs is a great help in the fight against rheumatic and skin diseases. Any tourist can feel like a member of the royal family, and just like the wearers of the crown in their time, enjoy the delights of the thermal Roman baths.

Sights of Bath. The most important and interesting sights of Bath - photos and videos, descriptions and reviews, location, websites.

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Bath is a very old city and, like other old cities, its attractions date from different eras. The city owes its appearance to a hot thermal spring that comes to the surface in this zone. The first buildings here are still Celtic: the Celts built a sanctuary over the source, dedicated to one of their deities.

Then the Romans replaced the Celts and also built buildings over the source. The buildings were of two types: there was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, and public baths with thermal water. The temple has not survived, but the baths still operate today, but no longer as a place for washing, but as a museum. The complex is called the Roman Baths, and you can see it; it is now the city's oldest major attraction. A very beautiful, unusual building, be sure to go inside. You cannot swim in these baths, but you can do it in the spa complexes next door, they use the same water.

The entire complex of Bath's Georgian buildings is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Many medieval sights have also been preserved. The most interesting is probably the huge Gothic church, preserved after the closure of one of the oldest monasteries in Britain - Bath Abbey. This building is usually called Bath Abbey, but actually it is the Church of St. Peter and Paul. The monastery was founded in the 7th century, but only this church, turned into a parish, has survived from it. The construction dates back to the end of the 15th century; there are many interesting and unique elements.

Sights of the 18th-19th centuries

The real glory of Bath is also associated with its thermal spring. The fashion for water treatment arose at the end of the 17th century, quickly turning Bath into a water resort and the summer social capital of the country. Therefore, in the 18th and 19th centuries, a lot of things were built here. The entire complex of Bath's Georgian buildings is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

There are a lot of sights of this era in the city. They were built by the best architects of the country. Thus, the Bath Assembly Rooms are noteworthy - halls for holding social entertainment events. They were built at the end of the 18th century, and a huge number of writers, artists and actors visited here, including Jane Austen (two of her novels take place here) and Charles Dickens (he mentioned them in his books). The construction of the Grand Pump Room, a large pumping hall intended for drinking thermal water and socializing, is also associated with drinking thermal water. Both buildings are open for tourist inspection, and you can still drink water here. The Guildhall, a building built by another famous architect for the local administration, also dates back to the end of the 18th century.

In 1805 the Bath Theater Royal was built in Bath. A very good famous troupe, an excellent program and a wonderful old building, and going there to see a performance is a separate attraction. The theater has two large studios, both of which are known throughout the country.

Pulteney Bridge is unique. It was also built at the end of the 18th century, its unusualness is that it is built up - on the bridge on its sides there are two rows of old shops. There are only four built bridges in the world, so this is a rarity. It is also interesting that one side of the bridge is the front side and is similar in shape to the Venetian Rialto Bridge, and on the other the backs of shops hang over the water.

The most famous part of the city's historical center is, oddly enough, not individual buildings, but residential complexes. They are also Georgian and were built during the 18th century by two father and son architects, both named John Wood. The most famous are three parts: Queen square (Queen Square, the very first, the ceremonial complex around the square), The Circus (that is, the Circle, a ring-shaped complex from which several more streets extend to the sides) and Royal Crescent (that is, the Royal Crescent , the most famous of all).

All three complexes are built in Georgian style and make a very striking impression. A sort of imperial Britain, ceremonial and magnificent. In fact, this style has been popular for a long time; in fact, a lot of things were built in it in this country. There are also many parks in the city, some very good (for example, the Royal Victoria Park, which also has a botanical garden).

Be sure to visit Bath if you love 18th century architecture (there is a lot of it preserved here, and it is in very good condition) or Jane Austen books.

Historic center and events in Bath

Bath amazes with the preservation of its historical center. It is very well restored, the best thing to do is just walk around the streets. There are many buildings around the city from the 17th and 18th centuries, all of which are in use and in good condition. Although in general Bath is a rather ostentatious city: large magnificent buildings, wide streets, an abundance of columns and statues, but it is nevertheless very bright, with its own indescribable flavor and style.

Bath hosts many events in all seasons: concerts, tours, plays, several large national and world festivals, etc. You can find an event to suit almost every taste.

The whole region here is old, so there is a lot around the city: there are sites of medieval battles, ancient aristocratic estates and manors, Celtic hillforts and much more.

Bath (Bath, “bath”) is one of the most beautiful cities in England, the seat of the bishop and the main city of Somerset County, located on the Avon River. This famous balneological resort has become famous since ancient times, thanks to its healing mineral springs. The resort's heyday came in 1775, when traces of Roman baths were discovered in Bath and subsequently museumified. Then London dandies, led by the “king of dandies” Richard Nash, frequented the city, and the famous architect Robert Adam designed the elegant Pulteney Bridge over the Avon here.

Every summer throughout the second half of the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, Bath served as the unofficial capital of British social life, as it was here that most of the English aristocracy came to "the waters". The action of two Jane Austen novels - Northanger Abbey and Persuasion - takes place here. And local monuments of the classic era were even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

How to get to Bath

30 km from Bath is Bristol Airport, which receives flights from many European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, ​​Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paris and Prague (but not London). Flyer buses run from the airport to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, and from the station to Bath you can get by train (1 hour) or taxi (40 minutes, 30-40 GBP).

There is another airport nearby in Southampton, which can be reached in a couple of hours by train. The low-cost company Flybe is based there, which flies to many European cities at very attractive prices.

In addition, the district is home to the airports of Cardiff, Bournemouth, Exeter, and, of course, London. Heathrow Airport is approximately two hours' drive from Bath. You can get there by RailAir train (departures every 20 minutes) or by National Express bus (23-28 GBP). From Gatwick to Bath it is at least 3 hours drive, there are no direct trains or buses, you will need to change trains in London. The same applies to Stansted and Luton airports.

Prices on the page are for October 2018.

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By train

Bath railway station is a very beautiful Victorian building located in the very center of the city (no luggage storage facilities). Regular trains arrive there from London, Reading, Southampton and other cities. From the capital, trains depart from Paddington station every half hour, the journey takes 1 hour 40 minutes, the cost is 40-80 GBP. It also offers connections to Cardiff (1.5 hours), Bristol (15 minutes), Oxford (1.5 hours) and Portsmouth (2.5 hours) via Salisbury (1 hour).

Weather in Bath

The average annual temperature is +10 °C (higher than most English cities). Summers are very hot and winters are rainy but mild. The best time for health trips is from November to April.

Transport

One of the most convenient ways to explore the city is to take a tourist bus: in the city center (stop near the fountain at the abbey) or Skyline tour (stop at Bog Island). Both routes use a hop-on, hop-off system and allow tourists to hop on and off at any stop along the route. Cost is 15 GBP per adult and 9.5 GBP per child 5-15 years old for both the 40-minute Skyline tour and the 50-minute City Center Tour. There are discounted tickets for students and pensioners (over 60 years old) - 12.5 GBP, family tickets - 43 GBP for 2 adults. and 3 reb.

There are large parking lots in the center on Walcot Street, Manvers Street (near the station) and Charlotte Street. Parking costs 2-3 GBP per hour, 0.3-0.5 GBP for 10 minutes. On Sundays and every day from 19:00 to 8:00, parking is usually free (to be confirmed on site). Many parking spaces are marked with a residents parking only sign, so you should be careful - tourists are not allowed to leave their cars here.

Maps of Bath

Bath Hotels

In Bath there are both economical hostels, comfortable three and four rooms, and luxury luxury hotels, including the Royal Crescent Hotel 5 *, located in the famous “Royal Crescent”, and the Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel 5 *.

Treatment in Bath

The hot springs to which the city owes its existence were known already in 44, even before the Roman legions appeared in these places. There are a total of 4 springs in the city, with an average temperature of +46 °C. Indications: gout, various rheumatic diseases, paralysis.

Guides in Bath

Entertainment and attractions in Bath

The most famous attraction of the city is, of course, the Roman baths, over 2000 years old. There are still hot mineral springs here, which are not found anywhere else in the world (you can taste the water from them in the restaurant at the museum). In addition, it is worth visiting Kingston Square and Queen's Square (Queen's Square), the abbey church, the Guildhall and its museum of Roman antiquities, a vast market building, a club building, two theaters and two grand arenas.

Favorite places for walking in Bath are Victoria Park and Sydney Garden.

3 things to do in Bath

1. Leave your mark on one of the streets of Bath, where Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, Henry Fielding, Daniel Defoe, Laurence Sterne, Jane Austen and other famous writers walked.
2. Squeeze the entire “Royal Crescent” into the camera lens. If you succeed, you can safely consider yourself a panoramic photography guru.
3. Study “Northanger Abbey” and “Persuasion” by Jane Austen and go around all the towns of Bath, beloved by the heroines of these books.

Bath is home to many museums. Thus, you can get acquainted with the life of the aristocracy and high society of the 18th century in the house-museum No. 1 of the “Royal Crescent” - a residential street of 30 houses in the shape of a crescent. In addition, there is a small museum at the thermal baths, the Assembly Rooms costume museum, the Holburne Art Museum, the Jane Austen Center, the Sally Lunn's Museum, dedicated to the local bun, once brought to Bath by Sally Lunn, who returned from captivity of the Huguenots (tasting the bun is obligatory and free), and also the Astronomy Museum and the Museum of East Asian Art with a fine collection of ceramics and porcelain from Japan, Korea and China.

Today, Bath, along with such UK cities as London, Oxford and Edinburgh, is one of the most visited cities by tourists. It’s not surprising, because almost every building here breathes history. Walking along the central streets, you can feel the whole atmosphere of classicism and architectural bliss of the English province.

It is not surprising that it was Bath that served as a muse and inspired many English writers to create masterpieces of literature generally recognized throughout the world. Among them are the famous novels of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, which also take place in the town. However, among the British themselves the city is popular not for its beauty and architecture. The resort feature of Bath is its thermal springs, which have not only relaxing properties, but also healing ones.

History of Bath

Already at the end of the 18th century, Bath became a fashionable resort, which was extremely popular among London dandies, who, led by the “king of dandies” Richard Nash, visited the city every summer. Until World War I, Bath became the center of public life, since it was here that the entire English aristocracy and even members of the royal family moved during the holiday seasons.

Interesting Facts

As already mentioned, Bath is very popular due to its thermal springs. There are 4 such sources in total, and the temperature in them in the summer reaches an average of 46 °C. Healing waters help primarily against most age-related diseases, such as: rheumatism, gout, paralysis, rheumatism, various joint ailments and more. In addition to baths and showers, water is also drunk for general cleansing of the body. The resort is interesting because the average annual temperature here is higher than in any other southern county. In between therapeutic baths, tourists are invited to take a walk along the picturesque streets of the town, the most popular of which are Kingston Square and Queens Square, as well as picturesque parks called Victoria Park and Sydney Garden.

A large number of Bath's buildings are included in the World Heritage List. These include Butte Abbey, the market building, the medieval town hall, 2 grand arenas, theater and hospital buildings and many others. Finally, for the biggest lovers of gastronomic pleasures, it is worth mentioning that the town is the birthplace of the most delicious and well-known Butte buns throughout the country. If you are going to visit the beautiful and mysterious country of Great Britain, then you should set aside at least one day to visit this amazing place. I guarantee that you will be satisfied!