by Anne Penny

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2009

Visitors to Europe usually have on their itinerary the capital cities of the countries they are visiting. These cities all have a great deal to offer and are without exception, richly endowed with history and culture. Who could visit England and not seek out London's sights? There's the grimly forbidding-looking Tower, the life streaming down Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and the British Museum - all memorable.

In England, however, there are many other great cities, each with its own distinct character and each worthy of a visit. All have ancient history. Bath, for example. This city, 100 miles west of London has been pronounced a World Heritage Site and is undoubtedly one of the great cities of the world. There, during their occupation of Britain the Romans constructed baths that are still well preserved, together with other buildings. The famous Bath Terraces always impress, the best known being the Royal Crescent, a beautiful facade. This jewel of a city has a splendid Abbey, a strongly Georgian architecture including the Pump Room and traceable connections to Jane Austen.

Winchester has many features to draw the visitor - Jane Austen again; she died and was buried here, in the perfect gem of a Cathedral, the longest in Europe and dating from the 11th century. Winchester Castle is famed for its Great Hall of 12th century origin and which holds King Arthur's Round Table. People have gazed upon it there since 1463! The river Itchen flows through the old city, where recently otters have reappeared after many years absence.

All the old cities of England have ancient cathedrals. They are all redolent with history, few more so than Canterbury. The magnificent cathedral was the first built in England, founded by Augustine in the 6th century. It has been an important pilgrimage site since 1170, when Thomas Beckett was murdered in his cathedral. The medieval streets bustle with modern life but the sense of history is inescapable. Great museums bring the past to life: one of them is devoted to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, whose story-telling pilgrims are known worldwide.

Maybe from England, the visitor will cross the Channel to France and of course, to Paris where so much awaits. All the familiar landmarks must be seen: the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees, the Louvre Museum [the Mona Lisa] the Arc de Triomphe. It will be hard to leave the City of Light but in France too, there are many other fascinating cities to explore.

The city of Tours, for

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