Top 10 Cities in England and their best places to visit

England if full of beautiful cities, towns and villages, as well as other great places to see and visit, no doubt why UK is one of the most visited countries in the world!. The capital of England is the largest European city London, where you can visit a plethora of monuments and places of interest.

Other popular places are Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury, English castles and chateaux and English national parks are also very popular. Here is the list of 10 of the most beautiful cities in England!

Cities in England

1. London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as the largest city of the European Union. It is the world’s center of trade, culture and fashion. The centre of social life in London is Westminster, where are most of the shops, entertainment centres, historic buildings and the UK government.

Westminster Abbey is the traditional place of coronation and burial place of all British monarchs. Palace of Westminster is ahead of the Parliament of Great Britain, lying on the River Thames. The tower known as Big Ben, officially called Clock Tower, thanks to its huge yet accurate clocks on it, sets the exact time for the whole of Britain continuously since 1859.

Buckingham Palace is a London residence and also a queen’s office, which history begins in 1623. And the fifth top place to visit in London is none other than Tower of London. Located on the eastern edge of the city’s financial district it is one of London’s most visited sites.

Top 5 places to visit in London

• Hyde Park
• Westminster
• Camden
• London Eye
• Soho

Hyde Park, London, England by skoddeheimen / Pixabay

Camden, London, England by Tony Hisgett / Flickr

London Eye, London, England by Guled Ahmed / Flickr

Soho, London, England by Stig Nygaard / Flickr

2. Manchester

The unique city of Manchester, located in the north of England, is known mainly as the birthplace of world football, which is famous not only for legendary football clubs Manchester United and Manchester City, but also remarkable sights and rich history.

The most impressive building of the city is the John Rylands Library, belonging to the local university. Other attractive sites in the city are undoubtedly the Town hall, the Midland Bank, Synagogue, Strangeways Prison, Urbis Museum and largest Chinatown in the UK.

Manchester is a great place for lovers of discounts and purchases. It’s also a city of markets.

Top 5 places to visit in Manchester

• Castlefield
• Science and Industry Museum
• Imperial War Museum North
• Manchester Cathedral
• St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Castlefield, Manchester, England by Andrew / Flickr

Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, England by Esther Westerveld / Flickr

Imperial War Museum North, Manchester, England by John Hickey-Fry / Flickr

Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, England by Peter Siroki / Flickr

3. Liverpool

Experts of popular music will recognize Liverpool primarily as the home of the legendary band The Beatles. It’s an ideal city for lovers of architecture.

Liverpool’s small center hides many treasures, so it is no wonder that it has gained its place in the ranking of the most visited cities in the world. In 2008, Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture.

There are a lot of beautiful places, sights and monuments in the city. Among the landmarks of the city include two impressive modern cathedrals. The first is the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral – the longest cathedral of the world. The second one is the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral.

Top 5 places to visit in Liverpool

• The Beatles
• Royal Albert Dock
• Tate Liverpool
• Merseyside Maritime Museum
• Victoria Gallery and Museum

The Beatles, Liverpool, England by pauldaley1977 / Pixabay

Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, England by 334926 / Pixabay

Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool, England by Roland Turner / Flickr

Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool, England by Orion Montoya / Flickr

4. Brighton

Brighton is a popular resort with many hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers. The City of Brighton, located on the southern coast of England, is often referred to as “coastal London”.

Excellent food, wild dance clubs, a pleasant cafeteria and especially charming beaches, all offered by the City of Brighton. Brighton is also a student city thanks to its university and numerous language schools. A homosexual community has settled in Brighton.

Brighton is a city with the longest continuous operation of the electricity network in the world. If you are interested in art, you can also visit the Brighton Museum and the Art Gallery, where you will see, in addition to world art, an unconventional exhibition of fashion or human body.

Top 5 places to visit in Brighton

• The Royal Pavilion
• Pavilion Gardens
• May Festival season
• Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
• The North Laine

The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England by diego_torres / Pixabay

Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, England by Martin Robson / Flickr

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton, England by Jim Linwood / Flickr

The North Laine, Brighton, England by grassrootsgroundswell / Flickr

5. Portsmouth

This city is and has been an important naval base. It’s situated on the Portsea Island Peninsula. Today, Portsmouth is a major industrial center with a harbour full of boats, ferries and frigates. In Portsmouth, you can visit a museum that maps the history of the navy.

There is the Spitbank Fort in Portsmouth. You can take a ferry to a 1.5-kilometre-long island where you can see an island fortress built of granite, iron and bricks. There are more than 50 rooms in the fort. On the island, there is a 143-meter deep well, which supplies local drinking water from a spring under the seabed.

Top 5 places to visit in Portsmouth

• HMS Victory
• Mary Rose Museum
• Spinnaker Tower
• Royal Navy Submarine Museum
• Round and Square Towers

HMS Victory, Portsmouth, England by Andrew Smith / Flickr

Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth, England by 921563 / Pixabay

Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Portsmouth, England by Barry Skeates / Flickr

Round and Square Towers, Portsmouth, England by Steve Knight / Flickr

6. Oxford

The city of Oxford stretches over an area of 46 km² in England. When you enter the land of this magnificent city, you will be enchanted by its student and historical atmosphere.

In the world, it is mainly known for the university, which is one of the best universities in the world. The traditional colour of the university is dark blue. The university has 38 tracks and several faculties. There is one of the oldest libraries in the UK. The library mainly serves students to develop their student skills.

A number of prominent personalities such as Oskar Wilde, J. R. R. Tolkien, Hugh Grant, and Kate Beckinsale studied at the University. However, the city has much more to offer to its visitors. One of the most famous landmarks is Oxford Castle.

Top 5 places to visit in Oxford

• Bodleian Library
• University of Oxford Botanic Garden
• Oxford Castle & Prison
• Oxford University Museum of Natural History
• Keble College

University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Oxford, England by Tejvan Pettinger / Flickr

Oxford Castle & Prison, Oxford, England by Andrew Bowden / Flickr

Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, England by Magnus D / Flickr

Keble College, Oxford, England by James Petts / Flickr

7. Cambridge

The famous university city of Cambridge has about 120,000 inhabitants. The student section represents about 30,000 students. The most famous personalities studied here are Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Lord Byron, John M. Keynes, Vladimir Nabokov, and Prince Charles.

At the University of Cambridge studied 92 Nobel Prize winners and 14 premieres. Interestingly, every fourth citizen of Cambridge is a student of the local university. There are 8 million books in the university library. One year of study at university costs about 9000 pounds per year.

Since 1856, an annual race between the rivals Cambridge and Oxford has taken place. The current score is 82 Cambridge wins and 79 Oxford wins.

Top 5 places to visit in Cambridge

• Cambridge University Buildings
• The River Cam
• The Fitzwilliam Museum
• The Bridge of Sighs
• Corpus Clock

The River Cam, Cambridge, England by Bex Walton / Flickr

The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England by Andrew Dunn / Wikimedia Commons

The Bridge of Sighs, Cambridge, England by Bex Walton / Flickr

Corpus Clock, Cambridge, England by Matt Buck / Flickr

8. Colchester

Colchester is the oldest town in England. The town is located in the southeastern part of the country. In addition to a beautiful castle, the Zoo and a gallery of contemporary art can also be found in the city. In ancient times Colchester was the capital of the Roman Empire. It was later replaced by London.

The biggest attraction in the city is its castle. It dates back to the 11th century and is the largest built Norman castle. The sightseeing of the castle also attracts young children, due to the opportunity of trying out costumes or touch screens with information. The Castle is also featured with a castle park with gardens.

Another attraction in the city is the zoo. It is the 11th best zoo in the world. You can see over 270 species of animals here which can be quite interesting for families with kids.

Other places you can visit in the city are Sir Alfred Munnigs Museum, a gallery of contemporary art run by the Colchester School of Art.

Top 5 places to visit in Colchester

• Colchester Castle Museum
• Castle Park
• Roman Wall
• Colchester Zoo
• Hollytrees Museum

Castle Park, Colchester, England by Haydn Blackey / Flickr

Roman Wall, Colchester, England by William Marnoch / Flickr

Colchester Zoo, England by Cristian Bortes www.eyeem ú Flickr

Hollytrees Museum, Colchester, England by The wub / Wikimedia Commons

9. Winchester

Winchester is located in Hampshire and has a population of about 40,000. This city is an important center of trade.

There are many historic buildings in the city. Winchester Cathedral is one of the longest cathedrals in Europe. The writer Jane Austen is buried in the cathedral. You can also visit the house where writer Jane Austen lived, which is now a museum.

Other important sights include Winchester Castle from the 12th century, where you can see, for example, the round table of King Arthur.

Tourists often visit the St Cross hospital or Winchester College. The atmosphere in the city is peaceful. Traders sell hand-made products on the main street, and students play musical instruments.

Top 5 places to visit in Winchester

• Winchester Cathedral
• Highclere Castle – Aka Downton Abbey
• Winchester Castle’s Great Hall
• Winchester College
• College Street

Highclere Castle – Aka Downton Abbey, Winchester, England by diego_torres / Pixabay

Winchester Castle’s Great Hall, Winchester, England by David Spender / Flickr

Winchester College, Winchester, England by Nick Stenning / Flickr

College Street, Winchester, England by Mr ATM

10. Plymouth

Plymouth, with about 250,000 residents, is located on the border of Cornwall and Devon. There is one of the largest ports in the UK at present.

In the harbour, one can find a fish market, a port of sports boats, a royal yacht club and the largest aquarium in England. Aquarium is considered to be the best in the UK.

The citadel is also located in the town which serves the army these days. Here is the Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse and the statue of Francis Drake. With a great shopping mall and a lot of tourist attractions, Plymouth is ideal for families with children and sports lovers.

Top 5 places to visit in Plymouth

• Plymouth Hoe
• Royal Citadel
• National Marine Aquarium
• Saltram House
• The Barbican

Plymouth Hoe, Plymouth, England by Anne and David / Flickr

Royal Citadel, Plymouth, England by Geni / Wikimedia Commons

National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, England by Abi Skipp / Flickr

Saltram House, Plymouth, England by stux / Pixabay

Or check map here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1FqXrkrr67xU5_xypavDwe2DQP-q52cte&usp=sharing

England, a country with a rich history and diverse landscapes, offers a plethora of reasons to visit. From the iconic city of London with its world-class museums, historic landmarks, and vibrant culture to the picturesque countryside of the Cotswolds and Lake District, England’s beauty is enchanting.

Explore historic castles, such as Windsor Castle and Warwick Castle, and discover the timeless charm of charming villages like Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a literature lover exploring the birthplace of Shakespeare, or simply seeking to experience the quintessential English lifestyle, England promises an unforgettable journey filled with iconic sights, warm hospitality, and a unique blend of tradition and modernity.