Build Bath & Shower

With its famous Georgian terraces , thermal spa waters , cream teas and Jane Austen – you can’t say Bath isn’t on the UK tourist trail . Its quintessentially English charms pull in visitors from around the world and it has so many historic buildings the entire city has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site . But although you might have to dodge a few tour groups, its still more than worth it to explore the sights of one of England’s most beautiful and historic cities. So here’s my guide on how to spend 48 hours in Bath. More weekend guides: Oxford, Cheltenham, Cambridge, Canterbury, Rye, Cardiff, Chester, York, Glasgow Royal Crescent , Bath" width="720" height="456" /> Curved buildings around the Royal Crescent Friday evening If you fancy splashing out, head to the city’s most desirable address at the Royal Crescent Hotel . Two 18th- century Georgian townhouses have been merged to create a five-star hotel and spa. It has lots of period features, a hidden ...

By Gareth Huw Davies for The Mail on Sunday Updated: 14:30 BST, 30 November 2011 e-mail View comments Bath, an entire city colour -coded in golden local stone , boasts a spa fed by the only naturally warm springs in Britain. The many other reasons to visit this masterpiece in the west include the original Georgian streets , where Jane Austen and her characters walked, as well as a rich variety of shops and restaurants. Gareth Huw Davies revisits a favourite place, and is smitten anew. Calm: Even at night Bath is cloaked in a golden glow - much of it is unchanged since the 18th Century 1. Swimming sensation Drifting at sunset in a rooftop, open-air pool, in waters naturally heated – more than a mile underground – to 91F (33C), is one of the rarest pleasures in Britain. Thermae Bath Spa (www.thermaebathspa.com), a great glass cube of a building next to Bath Abbey, opened in 2006 to recycle raindrops that fell here 10,000 years ago. This is indulgence not to be rushed. A range o...