Top UK City Breaks for a Refreshing Change of Scenery

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Everyone could do with a change of scenery. Even if you’ve just come back from holiday, the minute you’re back into the daily grind, you need a change of scenery. It’s about taking a moment to breathe and think about nothing but enjoying the area around you, and the UK is full of cities that wipe away your thoughts and replace them with historical architecture, family-fun attractions, nice food, and the realisation that the UK actually isn’t that bad.

Here are our top picks for UK city breaks that are perfect for a change of scenery.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the crème de la crème of UK city breaks. Everyone has to go there once.

The gothic architecture and stone cobbled streets with ghosts almost whispering from the walls are such a cool vibe. From the Royal Mile, which has more Starbucks and places to eat than you can handle, to Edinburgh Castle, there’s an endless amount of things to do here, even when it’s raining (it rains for 128 days per year).

If you go, we recommend doing:

• A ghost tour or historical walk
• Do a Harry Potter walking tour
• Edinburgh Castle
• Go to The Nelson Monument 
• Walk along the Water of Leith

The atmosphere is almost moody, but you can literally feel the history seeping from every corner of the city.

An apartment stay is often the ideal setup for a city break, giving you a full kitchen and a comfortable living area to unwind after a day of sightseeing. If you are looking for the widest selection of apartments and homes, checking out specialised comparison sites will help you find premium holiday rentals in Edinburgh at the most competitive price points.

Leicestershire

Leicester is the largest city in the East Midlands, and it really is the rural retreat that dreams are made of, but it doesn’t get as much praise as it deserves.

There are so many places to visit in Leicestershire. To the East and west of Leicester City centre, you go straight into the heart of the British countryside, with red-brick market towns and rolling hills surrounding you for almost what feels like forever.

If you’re more interested in the countryside experience, Melton Mowbray is such a beautiful town full of Gothic religious buildings and true countryside town vibes. And the food here is out of this world (you have to go to Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe). The town of Market Harborough is also delightful. 

The city centre is a completely different experience. We’d say it’s more ideal for families in terms of things to do. There’s the National Space Centre, Treetop Adventure Golf, Boost Trampoline Parks Leicester, and plenty of family-friendly restaurants.

If you’re interested in doing a multi-stop weekend break, you can travel from East Midlands to our next recommendation in under 3 hours.

Bath

Bath is slightly more Edinburgh-esque with a bit more of an architectural masterpiece and somehow – maybe because of the honey-coloured Bath stone and the fact it’s all the way south instead of north, like Edinburgh – everything just seems brighter and lighter. 

We know a lot of people will argue Edinburgh is more of an architectural wonder, and we won’t dispute it, but it’s more so in a gothic, almost eerie (especially on a rainy day). Bath just feels more laid-back and majestic.

And it has a similar pull of historical tourism, with the famous Roman Baths that date back to around 70 AD for the original temple (roughly 2,000 years), where the Romans used the natural hot springs of Bath and built a grand social and religious complex dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva.

The Roman Baths are the highlight, but you’ve also got the Bath Abbey, which, if you go to the top of it, you’ll be greeted with stunning views of the city. Or, if you’re tired of walking the tranquil, boutique store-lined streets, you can rent a rowing boat and go down the River Avon.

There’s so much to do as either a family or a romantic weekend getaway.

Bath is the only city in the UK that’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not just a part of it, all of it, and if that doesn’t give you an idea of how beautiful this place is, we don’t know what will. The Georgian splendour and regency charm are truly magnificent.

There are so many others we could pick, but these cities are the ones that put you into the more tranquil side of life rather than the chaos of cities like London or Birmingham. They’re cities where you can breathe and ease yourself into the freedom of exploring the UK.

Author: Harbs

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