When it was founded in the 1st century AD, the Roman city of Aquae Sulis was a destination for its natural hot springs. Today, Bath continues to draw visitors for its spa pedigree, as well as its extraordinary heritage. Unique among British cities, Bath’s wealth of Roman history and landmarks have earned it UNESCO World Heritage distinction, and have made it a beautifully evocative destination besides. On your next tour of Roman Bath, get up close and personal with the area’s millennia-old history at these five key landmarks.
The Roman Baths
It’s no Roman tour without a visit to Bath’s number one attraction. The beautifully preserved ruins of the Roman Baths are some of the world’s finest, and provide a beguiling glimpse into how Aquae Sulis’s citizens lived some two thousand years ago. The Great Bath is the complex’s highlight, while the companion King’s Bath, added in the 12th century, is hardly less striking. When not gazing into the steaming waters, dip into the site’s museum, which displays a range of artefacts uncovered at the site, from Roman coins to a bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva.
The Pump Room Restaurant
While you’re no longer able to bathe in the Roman Baths themselves, enjoy a bit of historically minded indulgence at the Pump Room Restaurant. Located within the Roman Baths complex, the elegant restaurant hosts a destination-worthy afternoon tea. Between your sips of Champagne, wander over to the restaurant’s spa water fountain — you’ll recognise it for its four leaping fish — and try a sip of the famous mineral water, long reputed to have curative properties.
Thermae Bath Spa
Until recently, you couldn’t take a Roman-style bath in bath. But luckily that’s changed, thanks to the Thermae Bath Spa, which re-opened in 2006. Here, you’ll be bathing in the very same toasty waters that the Romans and Celts enjoyed — the only such waters in the whole of the UK, in fact. Take your pick between the open-air rooftop pool, which has lovely views overlooking Bath’s city centre, or the large indoor Minerva Bath, which is accompanied by whirlpool and lazy river features.
Stonehenge
Any visit to Bath should include a side-trip to Stonehenge, which is one of the wonders of the world and only a quick jaunt away. While the landmark’s origins stretch back to the Neolithic period, some historians hypothesise that it had use as a Roman temple, and related artefacts — including Roman coins and pottery — have been found on-site. Go for a tour, and learn more about Stonehenge’s remarkable history in its companion museum.
Museum of Bath at Work
Aquae Sulis wasn’t just a place where people came to relax. During your Roman Bath tour, brush up on a different side of the city’s history at the Museum of Bath at Work, which tells the story of the city through the people that built it and made it run. Beginning 2,000 years ago, the museum’s exhibits show how ancient Aquae Sulians earned a living.
Discover Britain’s Roman heritage and UNESCO-grade landmarks during our Stonehenge and Bath tour.
Image Credits: Roman Baths © Bath & North East Somerset Council. Pump Room Restaurant © Bath & North East Somerset Council. Thermae Spa © Philip Edwards/Thermae Bath Spa. Stonehenge © nicolamargaret/iStock. Museum of Bath at Work © ivan-96/iStock.
