European adventure: Bath

While we were in London we wanted to take a day trip to the countryside. The parents have been to London so we decided on Bath. This was one of the best surprises of our trip as I did not really expect anything.

We took the bus from London which took about 3 hours to reach Bath. You can also take a train but our three re tour bus tickets was equal to one train ticket so we took the more economic route. I booked our tickets through National Express. By taking the bus you also pass through great landscapes and small towns which shortens the "journey time".

The bus-stop is located in the city centre. Across from it is the shopping area and if you take a 5 minute walk you will reach all the major sights. All the major sights can be reached by foot and you don't need any other transportation.

We first went to the  Roman Baths as it's one of the busiest attractions and there usually is a queue. Luckily we were early enough and paid our entrance fee of 13,5 pounds with which you receive an audio guide. The Roman Baths in Bath are one of the few places today that are still well preserved where you can experience how the public bathing went down in the Roman ages. There are four main features you have to visit and includes the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath house and the museum holding. To really experience this attraction I would recommend you visit at least for 2 hours.

 

  Next to the Roman Baths is the beautiful church  Bath Abbey. Entrance is 2,5 pounds. As it is still an active church so be sure to check the visiting times of the day you want to visit.

We then headed over to the river Avon over which the Pulteney Bridge crosses. Its a world heritage site and one of the four bridges in the world that has shops situated on both sides of the entire bridge. After we crossed the bridge we also identified the famous Bath rugby stadium.

As it was Christmas time the town was full of Christmas markets selling delicious food, drink and Christmas decoration. The streets of Bath are of cobblestone and you wander through narrow alleys of shops and restaurants.

It was a rainy and cold day and we did a large amount of exploring so we then headed to a pub called  The Raven situated off the beaten track in Bath. Here we had the opportunity to enjoy some pie&gravy, bangers&mash and pimms&beer. The pub was filled with locals and at one point we almost thought we were English :)

From the pub we went to The Circus. Now it's not the typical circus you are thinking about. It's actually a piece of Gregorian architecture that was designed by architect John Wood and its called The Circus because in Latin it means ring, oval or circle. He drew inspiration from the Colosseum and the Palladium.

From there we headed to The Royal Crescent . In the street that leads from The Circus to The Royal Crescent  there are numerous art galleries you can browse through. The Royal Crescent is a magnificent building and one of the best examples of Gregorian architecture. It consist of 30 luxurious town houses. There also is a Gregorian museum if you want to learn more about this specific architecture style. We just walked around and took some photos.

We then strolled down to the city center and shopped. Most of the chain stores that you find in London are also in Bath and they also then have some small  individual boutiques.

I really loved Bath and I will definitely one day go back and visit for a weekend. London countryside at its best!