Best UK Cities to Visit

The UK's cities are more distinct from each other than outsiders often expect — a product of different histories, geographies, industries and cultures that have produced genuinely varied urban identities. London is the obvious starting point — incomparable in scale, diversity and international connectivity, but increasingly expensive and sprawling. Manchester is England's second city in everything but official designation — more culturally vital than Birmingham, more musically significant than any other UK city, and increasingly competitive with London for food, nightlife and arts. Edinburgh is the most architecturally dramatic UK city, with a medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town separated by a volcanic rock, and a cultural calendar (the August Fringe) unmatched anywhere in the world. Bristol has emerged as the UK's most creative city outside London — diverse, independent, with excellent food and music scenes. Bath, York, Cambridge and Oxford offer compact historic cities of extraordinary architectural quality.