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Say what you like about the Romans, but they knew how to take a bath. The Roman Baths are the city’s top visitor attraction, and comprise one of the largest and best-preserved Roman bath complexes anywhere in Europe. Built on top of natural geothermal springs that provide a never-ending hot water supply — perfectly heated to a balmy 46C — the compl...

You can’t miss Bath Abbey: its hulking medieval façade and central tower dominate the city centre. There’s been a site of worship here since at least the 7th century, but the present cathedral largely dates from the 14th and 16th centuries. Highlights include the dramatic stained-glass windows, the fabulous fan-vaulted ceiling and the ornate façade...

If you want to take a dip in Bath’s geothermal waters, the only place to do it these days is the Thermae Bath Spa, a strikingly modern — and highly controversial — steel-and-glass addition to the city’s 18th-century centre. It offers several floors of pools, steam baths, saunas and treatment rooms, but the pièce de résistanceis the postcard-worthy ...

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the heart of Bath’s social scene was the Assembly Rooms. Here, dandies, revellers and aristocrats gathered to socialise, gamble, play cards, dance and listen to chamber music. It’s another John Wood the Younger masterpiece, built in 1771, but reduced to a roofless shell by bombing raids during the Second World Wa...

Designed by Robert Adam, and built in 1774, this supremely graceful Palladian bridge spans the River Avon, and is one of only four bridges in the world that has shops lining both sides. It’s a thing of sublime beauty and that it’s still not been pedestrianised, as has been mooted for many years. Best hotels in Bath

Few cities are as indelibly linked with Jane Austen as Bath. The city provides the setting for several tales, including Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, and many adaptations of her novels have been filmed here — although Austen actually only lived in Bath for six years, from 1801 to 1806. A great activity in Bath for families, this small museum exp...

Throughout the 19th century, Bath’s most prominent and keen-eyed art collector was Sir Thomas William Holburne, who amassed an amazing collection of sculptures, ceramics, silver, porcelain, objets d’art and old masters — including works by luminaries such as George Stubbs and Thomas Gainsborough. After Holburne’s death, his sister bequeathed the co...

This impressive Italianate folly is the brainchild of William Beckford, a wealthy author, collector, travel writer, politician and plantation owner. Built in 1827 adjoining Lansdown Cemetery, it once contained a library, drawing room and a top-floor belvedere from which Beckford liked to survey the city. It’s now in the hands of the Bath Preservati...

Looping for six miles around the edge of the city, this circular walk takes in Bath’s green spaces, including ancient woodland, fields and meadows, The National Trust has a downloadable trail map and walk guide on their website. It’s mainly easy-going — suitable for kids and adults — and ends with a stunning view from Bathwick Fields.