This week's blogpost is going to focus on my favourite historical destinations. Now, of course, nearly every town or city in the world has some kind of link to the near or distant past, and could therefore be counted as a historical destination, meaning there are various places I could have included in this list. But the ones I've chosen to write about today are the ones that really seem to bring history to life, and which have given me an insight into different periods of the past...
Avebury, England, UK
This prehistoric stone circle, along with the other nearby stone circle, Stonehenge, are probably the closest thing we have in the UK to a site like Machu Picchu or the Egyptian pyramids. And both happen to be located in my home county of Wiltshire, which is pretty cool! Stonehenge is definitely the more famous and popular of the two, but I personally prefer Avebury, as it's much much bigger, and access is less restricted. No one knows exactly why the circle was built, but it's amazing to look at it and think about how long it's been there for.
Read more here!
Bath, England, UK
Bath is another historical place that I'm lucky to live quite close to. This beautiful city was very important during the Roman era, and you can still find many Roman columns around the city centre, most famously at the Roman Baths (pictured above). The Roman Baths was a spa and temple complex that attracted visitors from far and wide, and now it's a museum that brings in tourists from all over the world.
Another reason to visit Bath is for its more recent, Georgian history. It was a very popular city amongst the wealthy during that time period, and was famously written about by Jane Austen. You can find many examples of Georgian architecture around Bath today, including the iconic Royal Crescent.
Read more here and here!
York, England, UK
York is another British city with a long history and many beautiful old buildings. Like Bath, it's known for its Roman history, and you can still see some of the architecture from that period today, including the column pictured above. York was also a Viking city in the past, and was known as Jórvík during this time. In fact, one of the city's most exciting attractions is Jorvik Viking Centre, a museum which literally takes you on a ride through a recreation of this era.
Read more here!
Oxford, England, UK
The final English city in my list is Oxford, which has some of the most beautiful architecture in the country. It has many historical buildings, some of which were built hundreds of years ago. Radcliffe Camera (pictured above) is actually one of the newer ones, being completed in 1749. Some of the the even older ones include St Michael at the North Gate tower, which was built between 1000-1050, and Oxford Castle, which was originally built in the Norman era.
Read more here and here!
Chepstow Castle, Wales, UK
The last UK destination in this list is Chepstow Castle in Wales, located right next to the border with England. Construction on the castle first began nearly 1000 years ago, in 1067, and it's still looking in pretty good shape for its age! Actually there are many amazing old castles in Wales - it's the country with the highest number of castles per square mile - but Chepstow's one is actually the oldest, so it's definitely worth a visit.
Read more here!
Nîmes, France
Now I'm moving on to international destinations for the last half of this list, starting with Nîmes in the south of France. This isn't one of the best-known cities in the Hexagon (I don't think I'd heard of it before I went!) but I believe it should be, because it's really an incredible place to explore, featuring various Roman artefacts that have been unbelievably well-preserved. Two of the most impressive are the Arena of Nîmes (pictured above), which is very reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome, and Maison Carrée, a beautiful temple.
Read more here!
Berlin, Germany
For me, Berlin is an interesting city because of its more recent history. It wasn't that long ago that it was divided into two parts: the democratic West Berlin (comprised of British, French and US sectors), and the communist East Berlin (originally a Soviet sector, and later part of the GDR). There are still many reminders of this period that tourists can visit, including the East Side Gallery (painted sections of the Berlin Wall), Checkpoint Charlie (pictured above), and Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), a former border crossing which is now a museum.
Florence, Italy
The capital of Tuscany is one of the most popular destinations for those interested in history of art, as it was the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, which took place during the 15th and 16th centuries. Many great artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, lived and worked in the city, and you can see examples of their artwork there today. Two of the most famous galleries are Galleria dell'Accademia, where you can find Michelangelo's famous sculpture, David, and the Uffizi Gallery (pictured above), where you can see The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.
Read more here!
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Image by veeterzy from pexels.com
This medieval walled city on the Adriatic Sea, which was at one point an independent country, seems to have barely changed in hundreds of years. It's also incredibly beautiful, especially when viewed from above. I went there on a family holiday nearly ten years ago, so my memories of the place are slightly vague, and I didn't have a camera phone at the time, so I have no photos from my trip there. But I do remember really enjoying exploring the city, and I'd definitely go back there in the future.
Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
This picturesque town in Uruguay was at times a Spanish colony, and at other times a Portuguese colony, before becoming part of Brazil, and then finally Uruguay. It has a blend of Spanish, Portuguese and post-colonial architectural styles, and has been recognised by UNESCO for this reason. Going there and seeing its old buildings and cobblestone streets really does give you the feeling of stepping back into the past.
Read more here!
I think it's really fascinating to learn about different periods of history and about how life was in the past, but it's even more interesting when you can actually explore history in a more literal way, by visiting historical destinations such as these.
I definitely plan to visit more historical places in the future; when I'm living in Chile again (which should be very soon!) I would like to visit the Chinchorro mummies in Arica (Edit: Saw them in June 2022!), and possibly Rapa Nui (Easter Island). I'm also planning on visiting Machu Picchu in Peru (Edit: Made it there in October 2022!), and maybe Ciudad Perdida in Colombia. The other historic sites I'd most like to go to around the world include Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Rome in Italy (Edit: Made it there in March 2024!), Athens in Greece, Petra in Jordan, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Hopefully, I'll have one or two to write about within the next few months!
Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!
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