Exploring York's historic city centre is like taking a trip back in time. The city's rich cultural heritage dates back to Roman times, but the flavour of Viking Jorvik is still alive at the outstanding Jorvik , and the medieval architecture of the city is outstanding.
York is dominated by the imposing bulk of York Minster with its superb stained glass windows, but spare some time to explore one of York's other fine medieval churches, and wander the narrow streets of The Shambles area. Don't leave York without taking a walk on the city walls that were first erected by the Roman legions. Along the walls you can visit the medieval gateways to the city.
A word about York street names. You will notice that many streets end in the suffix "gate", such as Stonegate, Coppergate, and Skeldergate. This does NOT mean that the "gate" in question was a part of the old York city walls.
Instead, the "gate" in this case comes from the Viking "gata", meaning simply "street". The actual city gates are called "Bars", such as Micklegate Bar and Walmgate Bar.
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 Attractions - From the soaring grace of York Minster with its glorious medieval stained glass, to the imposing Norman keep of Clifford's Tower at York Castle, there's so much to see in this historic city. Museums, historic houses, and the longest stretch of original city walls in England. See Roman remains, excavations of Biking York, and the best preserved medieval streeet in the country. MORE >>
 Central York attraction map - major attraction locations.
Attractions near York - You don't have to go far to enjoy some of Yorkshire's finest historic attractions.
 History of York - The history of York goes back [at least] to Roman times. We look at York's long and rich heritage from its foundation, through the turbulent upheavals of Saxon and Viking York, to the coming of the Normans, the medieval period, York in the Civil War, Georgian York, and finally, the transformation of the city by the coming of the railway in the Victorian period. MORE >>
 York's Rivers - One of the best ways to enjoy York is by taking a river cruise along the Ouse and Foss. From custom-made river cruisers you can see some of York's most fascinating and historic buildings. MORE >>
 Travel Directory - While we think our guide to York is pretty nifty, we can't cover everything (though we try!). Here is our collection of outside resources, from accommodation to tour guides, city tourist websites to official government agencies, and travel services like taxis.MORE >>
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ACCOMMODATION
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World class hotel or cosy B&B, its your call! Or stay outside the city in a comfortable self catering cottage and explore Yorkshire. There are plenty of options for visiting York.
DID YOU KNOW?
A short detour from The Shambles leads to York's shortest and most unforgettably named street, "Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate".
 York Minster - The glory of York, and one of the finest medieval churches in Europe, York Minster soars above the skyline of this historic city. Founded in 627 AD, the minster church has been rebuilt many times over the years, so that today it stands as one of the best examples of medieval Gothic architecture in the country. Descend to the undercroft to see fragments of Roman plasterwork that predate the church. MORE >>
 Tourism information - One of the best places to learn about York is from the official tourist information centre in Exhibition Square. Here you can learn about walking tours, coach tours, attraction entry, and get help finding the right accommodation for your stay. MORE >>
 Walking Tours - One of the best ways to explore York is in the company of a tour guide, and there are guides specialising in practically any aspect of York that you might fancy, including history, architecture, and famous people. And, this being York, no visit would be complete without a good ghost walk - a city with a history as long and rich as York was bound to pick up a few good ghost stories along the way, and there are several established walking tours specialising in ghosts. MORE >>
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