Shortly after I finished college 2 years ago, my buddy Adrian Rubin and I strapped on our backpacks and headed off for an amazing 3 month trip around Europe. We started and finished in London and during our trip we were lucky enough to see Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Latvia and my favourite country of them all, the United Kingdom. I actually spend around 4 weeks of the 3 months touring though England and what blew me away the most, aside from the amazing scenery, were the fantastic cities which I stayed in during my time there.
As most people do, I completely fell in love with London but I couldn’t help but notice that so many tourists only go to London during their time in the UK and I wanted to talk a little about my favourite 3 cities aside from London, which I think tourists should visit more often.
York
York sits in the north east of England and this beautiful little city instantly makes you feel as though you have walked back in time to old Georgian England. The city is a walled city and much of the wall still remains, on the outside of the city limits, there is a mazy river which swirls around the city and offers some wonderful places to go for a walk. Within the city walls you will find traditional architecture and many individual shops and local sellers. The jewel in York’s crown is the impressive Minster, a huge cathedral which is absolutely breathtaking in its design.
Edinburgh
Despite the fact that it is a capital city, Edinburgh somehow manages to feel like a laid back place that actually seems as though you are knee deep in the countryside. I instantly fell in love with this city and it was the blend of traditional Scotland and modern day Edinburgh that excited me so much. In the centre of the city stands the Medieval castle which overlooks the whole city and from the top you can see for miles. The road leading down from the castle is filled with traditional tartan and whisky shops and if you take a right at the end, you walk straight into metropolitan plazas and high end restaurants, it is this perfect juxtaposition about Edinburgh that neared me so much.
Cornwall
Whilst technically more of a county than a city I would urge everyone who goes to the UK to take some time out in Cornwall, in the far south of England. The weather here was the warmest that I felt in the country and the views and coastal scenery really blew me away. On a clear day you can actually see France from Cornwall and in all honesty if this area had beaming sunshine all year around, there would be millions of tourists each year that head for the beaches and southern shores of this beautiful corner of the world.