Yahoo News The 'prettiest place' to go Christmas shopping that's a pleasant train ride from Birmingham
With its honey-coloured Georgian architecture, a visit to Bath is like stepping into the pages of a Jane Austen novel. There's a familiarity to the iconic Royal Crescent and the majestic Circus because you'll have seen them in so many films and TV programmes, most recently Bridgerton.
But the 'compact city' becomes even more beautiful at Christmas time when the lights sparkle and the streets are lined with markets and the independent shop windows are decorated for the season. There's an abundance of great cafes and restaurants to indulge in festive treats too.
The green spaces make this area one of the 'prettiest places' to visit. And there's a huge 1,000 square ice rink in Royal Victoria Park with atmospheric lights, festive music, glow golf, and a cosy alpine bar serving seasonal food and drink.
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The Bath Christmas Market runs from Thursday, November 28 to Sunday, December 15 and features twinkling chalets spread out across Bath’s picturesque Georgian streets. Here, you'll find handcrafted jewellery, unusual homeware, Christmas decorations and personalised presents for loved ones.
The best place to go for indie boutiques is Milsom Place and you'll find some lovely places to eat here too. Be sure to look down all the quirky side streets and to venture into The Corridor, a 19th century shopping arcade full of gift ideas. Head to the top of town along Walcot Street and Bartlett Street for artisan goods and antiques, and to the historic Pulteney Bridge for jewellery.
You can go for Christmas-themed afternoon tea in an igloo at The Bird, enjoy free live music at Green Park Brasserie or tuck into street food as you wander around the city in December, where you'll find mobile food traders serving everything from pulled pork rolls and festive deli food and Christmas chocolate brownies.
READ MORE: What Bath looks like at Christmas time - in pictures
Bath, of course, is famous for its Roman Baths and you can explore the ancient waters and go for a drink in the pop-up bar here every weekend. There's plenty for families at the National Trust's Dyrham Park where you can enjoy a children's trail, see the house decorated for Christmas and tuck into festive food and drink.
Or you could make a weekend of it, leaving time to visit the Winter Wonderland at Wookey Hole, which features 100,000 Christmas lights in its caves, a visit to Santa's North Pole Grotto, and a Christmas-themed circus show. There's also Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum, which has an illuminated trail and interactive displays among the trees.
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How to get to Bath from Birmingham
It's easy to reach Bath by train as the Bath Spa railway station is based right in the city centre. The quickest train takes around one hour 45 minutes from Birmingham New Street, switching at Bristol Temple Meads. Alternatively, it takes around two and a half hours to drive to Bath, traffic permitting, via the M5.
