York

York is one of the few English cities where you may still stroll on top of an actual Medieval city wall. The wall was completed in 300AD by Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus, who died six years later in York, and was reinforced during the Middle Ages. The magnificent two-mile-long stone wall is still 95% intact, making it England's longest remaining Medieval wall.

Aside from the wall, York has a plethora of great huge city gates, but with an unusual naming scheme. For some reason, streets in York have named gates, while city gates are called bars, which can be perplexing. If you want to get a drink, seek a pub rather than a bar! Snickelways, the 60 traffic-free, alley-sized lanes that makeup York's city core, are the coolest thing in town. These Medieval lanes are lined with residences from the 1300-the 1400s and truly follow the lines of the streets put out during the days when York was full of thatched roof buildings and under Viking authority.

The most famous of York’s Snickelways is Shambles Street which inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books and movies. In Medieval times this alley was the butcher street and derives its name from the meat shelf butcher tables outside each shop called Fleshammels. During the butchering process blood and guts would drain down the street and leading to the phase calling things bloody shambles. We love the crooked second floors above each shop which dramatically hang over the road. They were built like this so the people living on the upper floors could toss the contents of their chamber pots into the street to be washed away without contaminating the meat hanging below. You can still see the outdoor meat hooks above first-floor windows which were still in use until WW2. If you investigate further than most tourists do, you can also weave through the 5 mini side alley Snickelways that branch off of Shambles Street.

Country: England