Welcome to York
Welcome to York - The City of Festivals
Tucked away in rural North Yorkshire, York is repeatedly described as one of the most beautiful cities in England and all of Europe. Recently given the title of 'City of Festivals', York is a vibrant city with a wealth of annual events celebrating its rich heritage of ancient history, great food and drink, chocolate, the arts, music and more. With its wealth of olde-wolde charm, York is surrounded by captivating historical architecture amongst quaint twisting cobbled streets, all placed within the Roman Bar Walls that border the city centre. Famous for its Gothic Minster, markets, chocolate-making, diverse shopping, many pubs, fantastic street entertainment and easy access into the famous North York Moors, it is easy to see why York is one of the most visited cities in England.
Information and Facts
Nightlife
There are over 365 pubs and bars: enough for one every day of the year. With there being multiple breweries in and around the city, York's pubs and bars sell a range of local ales. The city also has a vast array of wine bars, cocktail lounges, and late night restaurants. For those who love to party, York offers a generous amount of clubs, popular amongst the large student population.
For a different type of evening, York's well-known Grand Opera House and Theatre Royal put on fantastic performances all year round. Other entertainment venues include the intimate Joseph Rowntree Theatre and The Friargate Theatre. For the music minded, The Barbican, The Duchess, and Fibbers provide regular music concerts and gigs. Many of the city's pubs are also notable for their music entertainment.
Shopping
York provides a diverse choice of shops, ranging from popular high street names to designer labels, department stores to independent labels, and antique shops to jewellers. Shopping amongst the picturesque cobbled streets is always a treat, and for a break, the choices of quirky independent and mainstream cafes are endless.
Sightseeing
An important landmark is The Shambles. Believed to have influenced Harry Potter's 'Diagon Alley', The Shambles is an exceptionally well preserved medieval street with buildings framed in timber that overhang the narrow lane. Additionally, York's iconic Minster is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe, with year round access and events held in this magnificent building exploring some of England's oldest history and architecture. York also has an impressive range of museums, with the most popular being The Castle Museum, The Viking Centre, The Yorkshire Museum, York Chocolate Story, Clifford's Tower and The National Railway Museum. For the most beautiful panoramic views, it is possible to walk the ancient walls that surround the city, or in the warmer months you can take a river tour.
Time
Standard Time Zone: GMT/UTC + 00:00
Climate
As with the rest of the UK, York experiences the winter, spring, summer and autumn seasons. Despite its susceptability to cold winds, fog and frost in winter, spring and early summer, the vale which the city is based makes its weather relatively moderate with no extreme rain or cold temperatures. Snow during winter time rarely lasts very long. The average day time temperature in the winter is 8°C (46 °F), and in summer it is 22 °C (72 °F). May to July are the most ideal months to visit York, for this is when the city sees the most sunshine and temperatures are at their warmest. Though, due to its postcard-perfect character and hosting of christmas events such as the famous St Nicholas Fayre, York is a favoured place to visit during the Christmas period.
Public Transport
With its fantastic rail and motorway networks linking to the UK's most prominent cities, York is one of the easiest places to travel to in the UK. It is ideally situated in a location where London, Edinburgh and Manchester can be reached in just two hours by rail. Easily accessible airports include Leeds & Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle.