The best places in Bath, England
Bath is a city located in the county of Somerset, England, 97 miles west of London. It is known for its Roman baths. To be honest, it is not the charming town I thought it was going to be. Pulteney Bridge is an ordinary bridge; the city is crowded, dirty and sometimes it smells like pee. The Gothic cathedral stands out among the other buildings but if you have seen Winchester cathedral or Salisbury cathedral, it is not anything special either.
However, there are two things that are worth a visit:
The Roman Baths.
They were built by the Romans in 300 AD and nowadays they are still very well preserved. It is a fantastic tour to understand how sophisticated Roman constructions were. The Roman bath includes a caladium (hot bath), a tepidaruim (warm bath) and a frigidarium (cold bath). At present, there is still hot water running through the facilities.
Besides that, the museum contains many interesting objects like the “curse tablets”, messages carved onto metal that the Romans would write to the goddess Minerva, whose temple is located within the baths. After carving the message, they would throw it to the water and ask for the goddess’ help. They would normally ask for revenge after having their belongings stolen. The Romans believed that Minerva would reveal the name of the thief and that they would have their belongings returned.
2. The Regency Tea Room.
Ask for the Tea with Mr Darcy :)
This fancy tea room is located within the Jane Austen museum, the house where the writer lived for a while. We didn’t visit the museum itself but we enjoyed a cup of tea and a plate full of all sorts of cakes - of course scones too. It is quite a unique experience to enjoy a cup of tea in Jane Austen’s former bedroom while being served by elegant gentlemen dressed up in the Victorian style and listening to classical music on a loop.
I’m sure you may find other parts of the city interesting as well. You can always enjoy a bath in the hot springs that are prepared for the tourists. Myself, coming from a city with its own thermal pools, preferred sitting in my dry clothes with something to drink. Like Austen once said:
“I would rather have nothing but tea”.
Where should I stay?
Prices to stay in Bath are extremely expensive. Therefore, I would recommend to stay in any village nearby.
What can I do nearby?
You can go on a road trip through the Costwolds, the breathtaking English countryside.
