Nearly 40 Yorkshire hotspots named unmissable experiences and hidden gems
Visitor attractions and landmarks across the UK have been honoured in travel publication Lonely Planet’s first ever list of the top 500 unmissable experiences and hidden gems – with nearly 40 Yorkshire hotspots among the prestigious line-up.
In total, 37 sights and experiences in Yorkshire feature in the Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist, from enjoying a rock-pool ramble in Robin Hood’s Bay (number 26 in the list), to enjoying open-air art at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (318) and getting up-close and personal with sea life at The Deep (449).
Welcome to Yorkshire’s Commercial Director Peter Dodd said: “It’s fantastic that so many Yorkshire locations have been showcased in Lonely Planet’s Travelist. There’s so much on offer across all four corners of the county: the magnificent coastline, majestic heritage, vibrant cities and stunning countryside.”
According to the list, the county’s top destination is the Yorkshire Dales National Park (coming in at number 18), with Yorkshire’s other National Parks (the North York Moors and the Peak District) also making appearances in the list.
Judith Donovan from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said: “We’re delighted the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been named one of the UK’s top sights, and the #1 sight in Yorkshire! Millions of people visit the Park every year, and we’re looking forward to welcoming the world when the UCI Cycling Road World Championships arrive in the Park this September.”
Lonely Planet’s VP of Experience, Tom Hall, added: “Lonely Planet’s Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist brings together the UK’s most compelling sights and experiences, ranging from world-class museums and giant cathedrals to rollicking festivals, inky lochs and tiny pubs. We’re thrilled to name the Yorkshire Dales National Park as one of the UK’s very best sights, alongside many other experiences in Yorkshire.”
Full list of entries in Yorkshire by rank:
18: Have an outdoor adventure in the Yorkshire Dales National Park
26: Enjoy a rockpool ramble at Robin Hood’s Bay
30: Bask in the medieval magic of York Minster
44: Embrace your inner Goth in bewitching Whitby
76: Stride out on the famous Coast to Coast Walk
77: Gape at the vista of spectacular Malham Cove
118: Step on to the set of a TV drama at Castle Howard
120: Ramble through a purple haze of heather in the North York Moors National Park
136: Get into birdwatching at Bempton Cliffs
147: Let York’s Shambles send a shiver down your spine
176: Voyage back to the Viking age at York’s Jorvik Centre
206: Hike a little bit of history along the Pennine Way
219: Pay literary homage at the Bronte Parsonage Museum
224: Admire a grand social experiment in Titus Salt’s Saltaire
239: Splash into the surf in revamped Scarborough
252: Be part of the Tour de Yorkshire cycling spectacular
280: Find watery wonder at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
283: Be captivated by the quirkiness of Hebden Bridge
299: Get into training at York’s National Railway Museum
308: Smell the smoke on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
318: Enjoy art in the open air at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park
322: Wish in Mother Shipton’s Cave
349: Tuck into traditional afternoon tea at Betty’s of Harrogate
352: Refresh yourself with a wild swim near Grassington
355: Escape the modern world in the old fishing village of Staithes
373: Tread in the steps of Richard III at Middleham Castle
393: Make time for a cuppa at Falling Foss Tea Garden
398: Get off the beaten track in the Yorkshire Wolds
403: See grass roots cricket in Sewerby
406: Quench your thirst in England’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn
439: Go deep down at the National Coal Mining Museum for England
445: Hike to Hayburn Wyke’s hidden picnic spot in Yorkshire
449: Come face to face with creatures of The Deep in Hull
458: Flex green fingers at Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens
478: Take in Yorkshire from a grand height
483: Spend a penny at Victoria Pier’s public toilets, Hull
496: Learn to churn at Wensleydale Creamery
