The name of York derives from Jorvik, as it was called by the Viking settlers who based themselves here in the year 875. But York's history goes a lot further back than that. A large Celtic settlement here was taken over by the Romans. Under the name Eboracum, it was a substantial, fortified Roman town by about 71AD. Beneath the Minster are ruins of a Roman temple, and in 306 Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor of Rome right outside its door - a sculpture marks the spot.
  After the fall of the Roman Empire, York became the capital of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria (which extended from the River Humber to the River Forth), until the arrival of the Viking invaders.
  Under the Vikings and throughout the medieval period, York prospered greatly and became known as the capital of northern England, and its diocese second to Canterbury. The city's national importance declined from the 17th century onwards as London's increased, and regionally it was overtaken in the 19th century by the modern industrialised town of Leeds. These developments enabled York to preserve much of its pre-industrial character and charm. York expanded in the 20th century and retains a role as a focal point of regional art, culture and history. York's population today is about 140,000.

A visit to York requires no advance planning, other than early booking of accommodation within the city walls. Be prepared for some rainy spells during your stay.

For more details visit the York tourist office ('Visit York') website, www.visityork.org.

The River Ouse runs through the ancient walled city of York. Two bridges cross the Ouse within the walls - Lendal Bridge and Low Ousegate. The smaller river Foss also runs through the city.
The historic city centre lies on the left bank of the river.
The main shopping streets are at the centre of this area, including Davygate, Coney St, Parliament St, Pavement and the Coppergate indoor shopping centre. 
York Minster is in the north of the historic city centre.
Jorvik Viking Centre, York Castle Museum and Clifford's Tower are in the south of the historic city centre.
The railway station lies outside the walls on the right bank of the river, a 10-minute walk from the city centre.

York's picturesque, quietly bustling city centre with its traffic-free streets and enticing lanes and alleys has a civilised, privileged feel, with plenty of first-class sightseeing, and a big range of good shops, including stylish fashions, bookshops and a colourful little market, as well as numerous cafes and restaurants. Don't miss a stroll down The Shambles - one of the best-preserved medieval shopping thoroughfares in Europe.

Walks and Guided Tours
The classic walk along the ramparts, with its unusual perspectives on the city and its evocative steps over the 'bars' (gates), is very enjoyable. The total distance all round is just over 2 miles (3.4km).
  Visit York has created nine self-guided walking trails in the city.
See: www.visityork.org/explore
  Several qualified guides run their own guided walking tours of York, for example, the affable Keith Mulhearn, an excellent story-teller brim-full of encyclopaedic local knowledge.
www.completeyork.com/

On foot - York city centre is small and can easily be fully explored on foot.
By car - Driving is very difficult within the walled city, with many pedestrianised streets. There are a dozen council-run car parks in the city centre, including six within the walls.
Bus and taxi - For longer journeys to other parts of town, York has a good urban transport system.
York transport information including car parks

The city's extensive choice of accommodation ranges from luxury hotels to simple guesthouses, both inside and outside the walled centre. For the tourist office's selection with online booking, see:
www.visityork.org/accommodation

There are restaurants of all kinds, as well as plenty of tea shops and atmospheric pubs serving Yorkshire ales and hot and cold food.
Among the top names...
J Baker's (Fossgate) - A simple restaurant describing itself as a 'bistro moderne', offering outstanding creative cooking from chef Jeff Baker (Michelin-starred at his former Leeds restaurant). Surprising dishes include beetroot risotto and parsnip ice cream.  
Betty's Café Tea Rooms (Davygate) - The original Betty's (there are now five of them in Yorkshire), this handsome tea rooms and restaurant preserves an elegant 1930s interior. Traditional cream tea is supposed to be the 'must have', but the house speciality is the savoury Yorkshire Rarebit, and there are many other dishes on the menu.
The Terrier (Stonegate) - This traditional little pub (one of 365 in the city, they say) offers a 'tasting tray' of four of its own brews for ale buffs to sample. Otherwise, just enjoy a pint from their York Brewery selection.

There is a modest nightlife scene in York, with many popular pubs, riverside bars and restaurants, and a few late-night clubs and dance venues  in the city centre, including Ziggy's (Micklegate), Tru (Toft Green) and Gallery (Clifford Street).
  There are several theatres, too. The Theatre Royal (established 1744) is the place for big-scale productions, staging everything from cabaret and comedy, to Greek tragedy and modern drama, musicals, concerts and the York's famous, innovative, annual pantomime.
  The Grand Opera House has the authentic pre-War feel, with a full programme of popular variety entertainment including comedians and rock shows, as well as plays, opera and ballet.
  Among smaller theatres, Friargate Theatre puts on a wide range of high-quality drama mainly during the summer. 

By air - Leeds-Bradford International Airport, 31 miles from York with good road connections, is the nearest major airport, with frequent international and domestic flights. A direct bus service runs from York railway station to the airport. Alternatively, Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, 39 miles from York, also has good transport connections to the city.
By road - major roads approach York from all directions. The main direct access from north and south is on the A19, or on the A1(M), with exits to York at the A59 and A64.
York approaches by road - Google maps
By rail - Frequent trains from London (journey time: 2hrs) and Edinburgh (2½ hrs), as well as direct services from Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and the South West.
I travelled to York by direct, non-stopping train from London with Grand Central.

 York Minster

Intricately carved pale Gothic stonework, superb medieval stained glass and majestic proportions make the Minster among the most beautiful buildings in Britain - as well as one of the largest and finest cathedrals in Europe. The first church on this site was started in 1080, but the present building was started in 1220, and completed in 1472. It has a colourful history, best appreciated on a guided tour.
  Remains of the Roman and Norman buildings can be seen in the undercroft, while the 60-metre central tower (275 steps to the top!) gives unrivalled views over town and country.
  At present a huge restoration programme is under way, and will last many years. The eroded stonework of the East Front is being copied and replaced, piece by piece, by highly skilled stonemasons from around Europe. The huge Great East Window (it's the size of a tennis court!), consisting of leaded pieces of beautiful stained glass telling the whole Biblical story from Creation to Revelation, is being painstakingly restored and repaired.
  Far from detracting from the pleasure of a visit, the restoration has been made into a fascinating and unusual educational attraction called York Minster Revealed, in which guided visits (book well ahead) watch the restorers in action in their workshops.
www.yorkminster.org

 York Castle Museum

Whatever your age, childhood memories are likely to be poignantly awakened by a stroll through this wonderful museum of everyday life. On display - a poky 1940s kitchen, a 1950s sitting room, a (temporary) display about the 1960s, a 1980s kitchen - with early microwave oven. Other displays show household interiors from older periods, Edwardian, Georgian, Victorian, as well as a complete Victorian street!
www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk

 Jorvik Viking Centre

York's popular family attraction opened in 1984, and today has a rather dated feel - 'time capsules' jerk along through a cramped reconstruction of the original Viking settlement at York. Nevertheless, it is interesting to get a glimpse of what life must have been like then.
www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk

 Quilt Museum  

This new museum occupies mainly a single large 15th-century beamed hall, hung with lovely modern quilts. A smaller room is hung with intriguing smaller works.
www.quiltmuseum.org.uk

 National Railway Museum

The world's most complete collection of historical trains and railway artefacts, from the beginning of railways until the present day, stands alongside today's York railway station. Many iconic engines are housed here, including the Mallard - the fastest-ever steam engine. Gleaming Victorian and Edwardian locomotives and carriages reveal much of social history too, with the clearly marked class differences and luxurious touches lacking in missing from modern trains. Of special interest are the royal trains, including Queen Victoria's own private carriages, which are kept here.
www.nrm.org.uk

 Clifford's Tower 

A sturdy remnant of York's medieval stone castle, the tower stands atop a low mound. A flight of steps ascends to the tower, making an enjoyable climb for thousands of visitors rewarded with wide views. York's earlier wooden castle on the site was constructed in 1069 by William the Conqueror as a base for his violent campaign to subdue the North. A plaque on the tower records that it was also the site of a notorious massacre of York's 150 Jews in 1190 by an anti-Jewish mob - believed to be the only incident of its kind to have occurred in England.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/cliffords

 Castle Howard

Possibly the grandest of Britain's aristocratic "stately homes", this majestic early-18th-century palace in its extensive gardens and parkland is still lived in by a branch of the Howard family, yet has the feel of some great museum or academic institution. In largely Baroque style, with a distinctive central dome, its vast rooms and immense spaces (the Great Hall is 70 feet high) are filled with gigantesque sculptures and pictures - as well as exquisite treasures of Italy and the Classical world. Preserved historical rooms in part of the house can be visited. Castle Howard became familiar to the world as the setting - both for the 1981 television series and for the 2008 film - for versions of Brideshead Revisited, although 'Waugh's original novel is not set here and his 'Brideshead' is fictional. The house is 15 miles (24km) from York.
www.castlehoward.co.uk

- Gates and bars: York has many curious street names, such as Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate. Strange too is that "gates" are streets, while the old entrances into the city through the city walls are called "bars", not gates. Narrow lanes and alleys are known throughout Northern England (with different spellings and pronunciations) as "snickets" and "ginnels", but in York they are also known as "snickelways"!

- Residents only! York Residents' Festival, at the end of January and beginning of February, is an opportunity for local people to visit the sights - and even see behind-the-scenes places not normally open to the public - all free of charge or at discounted rates.

- When to go: As elsewhere in the UK, the weather is mild but unpredictable, and all year round is generally cool and liable to rain. There are brief very cold periods in January and February, and a occasionally few very hot days any time from May to August.

- The real Yorkshire: The county of North Yorkshire was created in 1974, being part of the very much more extensive historic county of Yorkshire, of which York is the capital.

Jorvik Viking Festival
11-19 February 2012
A lively annual celebration of York's Viking heritage, with thrilling full-scale re-enactments of battles.
www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk

York Literature Festival
29 March-1 April 2012
Four days of reading and writing, theatre, author events, music, storytelling and poetry.
www.yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk

York Carnival
16 June 2012
The whole community comes together to stage music, dance and arts events in the city centre.
www.yorkcarnival.org

York Early Music Festival
6-14 July 2012
This year rather predictably on an Olympics theme of 'crossing borders', this is a leading early music festival of international standing, with lunchtime performances, late-night candlelit concerts, music workshops and lectures, in the city's churches, guildhalls and historic houses.
www.ncem.co.uk

- Where is it?
  York is in North Yorkshire, in northern England.
- International phone dialling code:
  00 44 (+ drop initial 0 from local number)
- Time zone:
  GMT/BST.
- Money:
  Pound sterling.
- Principal religion:
  Church of England (Anglican).