York?

http://www.visityork.org

Check out the Official Tourist Board site (above).

York is an absolute must. It is one the best preserved cities in Britain.
The river is not the main attraction, it is incidental.

• The city walls are mostly intact, bottom layer roman, upper layer medieval. You can walk along the city walls. The city gates are impressive.
• Huge medieval cathedral.
• Streets of medieval buildings (the shambles)
• Museums (Yorvik museum, shows findings from Viking York)

And lots more.
Like most good medieval cities, everything within the walls is either wholely or partially pedestrianised. You can walk everywhere.

We went to York about 4 years ago by train from London and after 2 nights continued on to Edinburgh. We loved it; it is one of the few small places we have been that we felt there was more to do than we had time and that we want to get back to. So we walked the walls..interesting and very pretty and saw Micklegate Bar and the small museum there. The Minster and the famous stained glass windows were outstanding and we returned for evensong. Also in the Minster is the late 15th century "Kings' screen" with 15 nearly-life-size statues of English kings from William the Conqueror to Henry VI , king at the time of the screen creation. It is so stunning its picture is often my screen saver We had tea at Betty's Tea Room. We drank at the Bluebell. We enjoyed the Yorkshire Museum and the gardens of York Abbey were gorgeous...a real photo op.

We went to Clifford's Tower which was built originally about 1068 on the orders of William I to dominate the former Viking city of York, later a terrible thing happened there. In 1190 local Jewish families, under attack by a mob into the royal castle, took refuge in the wooden keep, Clifford's Tower. The mob surrounded the castle and tower. The siege continued until the Jews' position became untenable. Many of them committed collective suicide to avoid being killed by the mob, and the castle was set on fire to prevent their bodies being mutilated after their deaths A few Jews did surrender, promising to convert to Christianity, but they were killed by the angry crowd Around 150 Jews died in total in the massacre.

We wandered down to the river where there were scull races on with kids as the rowers. We must have spent an hour sitting in the grass on the river watching. The shopping area is quite nice for wandering and mainly pedestrian. We had our first and only Cornish pasty there. We went to a performance of "The Crucible" at the York Theater Royal (we live near Salem Mass and so we know about witch trials) and the theater was great and seeing a play set in Salem Mass performed in York England was a truly memorable experience. Enjoyed the York Castle Museum as well. Clearly, we just ran out of time but have great memories and do indeed hope to get back.

Chris and Kate have made good suggestions, there's a lot to see in York. It's quite walkable. Besides the places they mentioned, there's a great railway museum near the station if you're into trains. I believe there are boat rides on the River Ouse, the city website should tell you.

"Cute" is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. York is very old -- when we were there a few years ago, they were observing the 1800th anniversary of the death (in York) of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus. We saw some sewer excavation near the park and asked the workers if there was anything old down there, they said not really, just 18th century.

Skip the hokey Richard III exhibit at one of the city gates. We were also underwhelmed by the York Castle Museum (though RS likes it), we thought the historical part of the Yorkshire Museum was excellent. The Minster is unforgettable and has a very good tour.

" there's a great railway museum near the station if you're into trains. " ---------------- Even if you're not a trainspotter ( Britspeak for a Rail fan ) , this is a GREAT place . I've visited this museum a number of times , and the impact of the railways and how they have changed civilization is not to be underestimated . Don't miss it . For a good taste of the trains in Great Britain , go to youtube and watch some of the episodes of " Great British Railway Journeys " , with Michael Portillo . This is an ongoing BBC production now in it's sixth or seventh season . One episode , and you will be hooked .

My husband and I have been to York a number of times, and are looking forward to going again soon. On our visit last Fall we stayed in a B&B right on the river Ouse and really enjoyed watching the boats and ducks. The free tours given by local volunteers are great, and so is The Minster, Castle Museum, Merchant's Hall, and shopping in the Shambles. Of course you have to have tea at Betty's Tea Room, and we found a wonderful and reasonable restaurant called Ambiente that specializes in tapas and sherry. Wish I could hop on a plane right now!

Mary

Yes, York is a great stop with lots to enjoy. BTW, the National Railway Museum is free!

Kim,

York would make a fantastic spot to visit for a few days on the way to Glasgow. It's a very historic and beautiful city, with lots to see. A couple of possibilities.....

Walking tour of the city (check at the T.I. for times, etc.).
Visit the fantastic Railway Museum.
Visit the famous York Minster and if possible attend an Evensong service (it's beautiful!).
Walk through the area known as "The Shambles", which used to be the meat selling area (which is one reason the houses were built to overhang the streets, so as to provide some shade).