The Roman Baths
Archaeological site, Historical Landmark

© Justin Black / Alamy Stock Photo
Bath’s namesake is a majestic complex of bathing facilities right in the city centre. The naturally occurring hot waters of the area have been appreciated for at least two millennia – the Romans built the surviving subterranean caverns in the first century CE, and folklore has it that the pagan King Bladud constructed his own baths here even earlier (the most fanciful version claims that the waters cured Bladud of leprosy). The well-maintained Roman facilities buried beneath street level are a unique historic treasure trove, visited by over 1m tourists every year (tickets must be prebooked).