You can’t visit Yorkshire without stopping at York. A tremendously famous and important city, this northern beauty is thought by many to be the region’s highlight, an architectural stunner with no small amount of history and plenty of modern day delights to boot. The cathedral gets most of the plaudits, but there is enough here to justify its own guide at the very least. York In Your Pocket? Watch this space…

Getting to York from Leeds couldn’t be easier. Okay, it could be, but teleporting still doesn’t exist, so almost constant trains will have to do for the time being. Those looking to drive are faced with a 24 mile journey that could take an hour, what with all that traffic, while the train takes just 25 minutes to traverse the difference. York is home to the National Railway Museum too, so why not start the day trip off right?

The aforementioned Railway Museum is one of the most fascinating spots in town, although our Thomas & Friends loving selves might be a little biased. The impact of the rails on British society cannot be overstated, and that story is expertly told here. The museum is also home to the only bullet train found outside of Japan, which is pretty darn cool.

But you can’t talk about York without waxing lyrical about York Minster. One of the world’s great cathedrals, the magnificent Minster is also one of the largest in Europe, and big really does mean beautiful in this instance. The Gothic splendour of the church gives it an aura that transcends simple aesthetics, and its influence is just as vast. The church is second only to Westminster in terms of English importance, but don’t tell the people of York that.

The Jorvik Viking Centre rounds out York’s holy trinity of uber cool tourist attractions. There is something undeniably fascinating about the Scandinavian marauders of yesteryear, and those days are brought to life in thrilling form at this interactive museum. The vikings knew York as Jorvik, and this place transports you back to life in the town in the 9th century — smells and all.

Eating in York is a pleasure, although it can be an expensive one. The city has a number of fine restaurants, none more exquisite than Le Cochon Aveugle, although you’ll have to make a reservation and bring plenty of money for that marvel. Luckily for us there are a number of excellent cheap eats in town, with The Pig & Pastry, Mannion & Co and Sotano among the best. The latter of those is also one of the best spots in town to enjoy some craft beer, and oh boy do we enjoy some craft beer.

All this without mentioning Barley Hall, Museum Gardens, the Yorkshire Museum, the cat statues. the Shambles, the Cold War bunker or Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate. Whip-ma-what? You’ll just have to visit York to find out. Bring your camera.