Welcome to the first of many in this series where we explore the history, culture, and local cuisine of places around the world! I'll guide you on what you can see, do, and eat for an authentic and immersive experience at a leisurely pace. I'll also give you tips for it to be as relaxing and stress-free as possible, such as how to avoid crowds or where to find the quieter spots to take a pause in. First stop, one of my favorite cities in England: York!

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York, the city of a thousand ghosts

York is known as one of the most haunted cities in the UK, and perhaps in all of Europe, at least according to the the International Ghost Research Foundation. York is old and eerie but also enchanting and a place partly frozen in time. As the best preserved medieval city in England, it is full of history with roots going back to the Romans. It's become one of my favorite places, and after spending a week there myself, I can tell you how to spend a couple of exciting but leisurely days in one of the most haunted cities. I hope learning a little about its history, famous sites, and local food inspire your next trip!

A short history of York

York as we know it today started with the Romans in 71 AD. To them York was known as Eboracum, which means "the place where the yew trees grow." It was the northernmost provincial capital in the Roman empire, and the city's grid-like pattern comes from this time. Today what's left are the Roman walls, Multangular Tower, remains from under York Minster, and a Roman bath under a pub. It is said that only 2% of the Roman remains in York have been discovered, so the whole story in detail is mostly still unknown and buried.

After the Romans, in the early 400s York was the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. Not much about Anglian York is known though, other than the first York Minster being constructed in probably 627, a wooden precursor to the Gothic stone structure today.

Then in 866 AD the Vikings took over and renamed the city Jorvik (which the current name comes from). The Vikings ruled the city for about 100 years, and were mostly peaceful, and the city was a big trading center. Many of the names throughout the city are from the Vikings, such as streets that have the word "gate," which comes from "gata" in Old Norse, meaning "street." A few locals may also have Viking DNA, but more so the more north you go in the UK!

In 1066 the Normans took control, and York grew to become the second largest city in England. The wooden Viking and Saxon buildings were replaced with stone, four gates were built, as well as the York Castle and the grand York Minster. The famous Shambles street with timber-framed buildings is also from this time.

Since the medieval period, and skipping ahead a bit, came many wars and many upheavals in society, infrastructure, and architecture, but York remained an important and developing city. During the Industrial Revolution, York was a center for manufacturing railway stock, as well as for making chocolate, both of which can be seen today. During WWII York was bombed, and despite so many changes over time, it remains the best preserved medieval town in England.

Cultural sites to see and things to do

The Shambles

One of the main highlights of York is its famous historic medieval street known as the Shambles. Some say it is "the real Diagon Alley" (although there are a lot of places claiming this in the UK), and it used to be a butcher's market. The overhanging timber-framed buildings sheltered the meat on display, and the slope of the street helped wash away the blood and waste. Quaint. Many of the buildings are from the 1300s and 1400s, and today they house magic shops, souvenir shops, a bakery, a fudge shop, a tea shop, and more.

A unique collectible shop here is the York Ghost Merchants, which is literally selling "ghosts," little ghoulish figurines (pictured earlier in this post and also at the end) that are made by hand onsite in a traditional method as crafting was done 200 years ago. Most days there is quite a line to even enter the shop since it is quite small, but for a unique souvenir, your own ghost from the city of a thousand ghosts may be worth it. On a Monday in early April, the line took 40 minutes, but I could enjoy the smell of fudge and look at meat pies in the bakery while I waited. On busier days, they have a second location close by, and the wait there is usually very short.

Another fun stop in the Shambles is The Potions Cauldron. Here I had their signature potion of the moment, which was a butterbeer with cream. It was quite tasty and sweet, and the man behind the counter is well into his role as a wizard, humorous and whimsical. They also offer a "Cauldron Experience" that has been added since I've visited.

Continuing with the magic theme is The Shop That Must Not Be Named which sells official Harry Potter merchandise. There may be a long line for this place too!

Lastly, worth mentioning is the Ye Olde Pie & Sausage Shoppe where you can try some special meat pies like wild boar or pulled pork and apple pie, as well as parkin, which is a traditional sticky cake made with oatmeal, ginger, and molasses.

York Minster

York Minster is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in the world due to its scale, intricacy, and stained glass. It is the largest in northern Europe, and its east window is the largest piece of medieval stained glass out there. It started out as a small wooden church in 627 with the Anglo-Saxons, and was destroyed and rebuilt several times until its current form was constructed over the course of about 250 years from 1220 to 1472. It is a beautiful piece of architecture that stands out among cathedrals. Underground is the Undercroft Museum to take you on a little tour from the Roman times to present.

Kirkgate at the York Castle Museum

York Castle Museum and Tower

The castle is long gone now, but the York Castle Museum is located where it used to be, taking you through the last 400 years of York. The highlight is a mock up street with shops of the Victorian times. Behind the museum is St. Mary's Abbey and the Museum Gardens, which are open to the public, and a large area of green space with a couple of food stands. This is a good spot to find a bench by a tree and take a break with an ice cream or toastie. Also just outside and opposite the museum is Clifford's Tower from the mid 1200s, which was part of the original castle. Up there you can get a great view of the city and York Minster.

Roman ruins

In the basement of a pub named Roman Bath you can find remains of a Roman bath house. While the pub was renovating in the 1930s, they stumbled upon the ruins of part of a frigidarium (cold room) and caldarium (hot room) that you can now see too.

Another way to see what's left of the Romans is to walk the walls around the city. They've been largely restored and renovated over time, so that they are mainly medieval walls now, but you can still imagine walking where so many others have. It'll take about 2 hours to walk all of it, but you can walk shorter sections around the city center and get nice views.

Railway Museum

York was a big producer of carriages in the 1800s, and now is home to the largest railway museum in the UK with the largest collection of engines and carriages in the world. Even if you're not that into trains but enjoy history, you can enjoy seeing old carriages and trains next to modern ones. In the back is the Flying Scotsman, the most famous steam locomotive in the world. I had never heard of it, but it was a locomotive that broke speed records, covered long distances, and became a symbol of British engineering. The Railway Museum is free to visit, and you can spend a couple of hours here wandering around all the trains. The Railway Museum is the only site that's not in the center, so it is not crowded.

Haunted Tour

With York being the city of a thousand ghosts, it's a lot more fun for the old cobblestone streets to come alive with creepy stories on a guided evening tour. There are several to choose from, and I can recommend the witch-themed tour I did, but this ghost tour also is highly rated.

Foods to try

Yorkshire pudding

This is the most classic food of the region. It's more like a roll than a "pudding" if you're an American reading this. The closest American relative might be a popover. It is alongside every Sunday Roast in the UK, topped with gravy and served with roast beef and vegetables. You can try a large version of this with The York Roast Co. for a hearty meal.

Chocolate

York started making chocolate in the 1700s and used to be a big part of the city's culture and economy. There aren't any more chocolate factories today, but there are still small chocolate businesses. You can learn about chocolate and its history at York's Chocolate Story, or you can take a pause at their cafe for some fancy hot chocolate and a couple of bars. I recommend the honey milk chocolate and the rhubarb.

Fat Rascal

A Fat Rascal is a big scone with cherries and almonds, and you probably would become a fat rascal if you ate a lot of them. The place to try one is at Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms. They have a separate bakery you can walk into, or you can dine in for afternoon tea.

Parkin

Parkin is a cake made of ginger, molasses, and oatmeal. Today it's associated with and eaten on Guy Fawkes Night on November 5, but its true origin is unknown. You can find it at Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms or at Ye Olde Pie & Sausage Shoppe in the Shambles.

Yorkshire curd tart

The Yorkshire curd tart is a crumblier baked cheesecake that's made with cheese curds and sometimes rosewater. You can find these at any York bakery for a nice treat.

Yorkshire meat pie

Meat pies are a food staple in the UK in general, and Ye Olde Pie & Sausage Shoppe is a great place to try several flavors, traditional or modern.

Cheese toast

This isn't a traditional York food to try, but a special mention for some really tasty posh cheese toast at The Cheese Trader that you won't easily find elsewhere.

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Suggested York Itinerary

Day 1

Morning (or early afternoon if you're a fellow night owl)

Make your way to The Shambles to go back in time and see one of the most famous parts of York. Browse the shops, try a potion at The Potions Cauldron or a meat pie at Ye Olde Pie & Sausage Shoppe, or maybe pick up a ghost from the York Ghost Merchants to keep you company.

Afternoon

Behind the street is the Shambles Food Market for many lunch options, or around the corner is York's Chocolate Story for chocolate! Then make your way to the nearest city walls to wander and go towards York Minster. Take your time on a bench just outside the cathedral in the pretty scenery and then explore inside for an hour or two. Of all places to visit in York, the Minster is probably the most crowded site to see but least busy during the week in the mornings and quiets down in the late afternoons.

Evening

If you stick around to 4pm at York Minster, you can stay afterwards to enjoy evensong, which is sung every night. For dinner have Yorkshire pudding at The York Roast Co. There is an upstairs seating area that you will probably have to yourself and can look out the window at the old buildings and cobblestone. If you still have energy afterwards or are feeling spooky, you can go on a haunted tour around the city, or even come back late at night to see if you run into any ghosts on your own.

Day 2

Morning‍

Avoid the crowds, and have your afternoon tea for breakfast at Betty's Cafe and Tea Rooms. If it's Sunday though, definitely enjoy a Sunday Roast at a local pub! Most pubs open around 11am or 12pm, so if you go then, you'll more likely have the place to yourself.

Afternoon

Tour the York Castle Museum and visit Clifford's Tower or the Railway Museum for a couple of hours. If you chose the York Castle Museum, you can relax afterwards by the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey in the Museum Gardens and grab an ice cream or have a picnic in some green space. If you went to the Railway Museum, there is a cafe inside, or come back to the center for posh cheese toast at The Cheese Trader.

Evening‍

Check out the bath ruins in the Roman Bath basement before they close at 4/5pm and stick around for a pint, or visit a haunted pub, such as The Golden Fleece or Ye Olde Starre Inne, to see if you can 'sense' anything. If you haven't already, go on a haunted tour!

A few tips for visiting York

July and August are peak tourist season, while the slowest month is March. When I visited in April around the spring holidays, it was mostly just a bit busy around The Shambles and York Minster.
The city is small and walkable, with everything within 10-15 minutes apart on foot. The one place slightly out of the way is the Railway Museum, which is right by the train station.
To learn more about York, you can go to their official tourism site at VisitYork.

How to Spend a Relaxing Weekend in York, England

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