Great Britain or United Kingdom, officially United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a parliamentary monarchy in northwestern Europe. The kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, comprising England, Scotland, and Wales; and Northern Ireland, an integral component of the kingdom, occupying part of the island of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands in the English Channel are not part of the United Kingdom; they are direct dependencies of the British crown and have substantial internal self-governing powers. The United Kingdom lies entirely within the British Isles. The capital and largest city of Great Britain is London.

Important Destinations In United Kingdom

Lake District

The Lake District is arguably the most beautiful of England - a combination of green dates, rocky mountains and Lakes that multiply the scenery with their reflections. The Cumbrian Mountains are not particularly high - none reach 1000 m - but they are much more dramatic than their height would suggest.

Unfortunately, there are over 10 million visitors a year. The crowds are so intense its questionable whether it's worth viiting or any weekend between May and October, or any time at all from mid-July to the end of August. Good times to visit are weekdays in May, June, September and October.

The two main bases for the Lake District are Keswick in the north (particularly for walkers) and the tourist conurbation of Bowness / Windermere in the south. Kendal and Coniston are less hectic alternatives. All these towns have hostels, numerous B&Bs and places to eat.

The Lake District is William Wordsworth country, and his houses at Grasmere and Rydal are literary shrine.

London

At times Europe's largest city is more grand, beautiful and stimulating than you could have imagined; at others it is colder, greyer, dirtier and more expensive than you believed possible.

London is a compopolitan mix of the developed and developing worlds, of chauffeurs and beggars, of the establishment and the avant-garde, with 7 to 12 million inhabitants and 26 million visitors a year.

The City of London had the humblest of origins. Over a period spanning several centuries, London grew from a Celtic community around a ford across the River Thames, to the capital of a nation that ruled nearly half the world’s population and held sway over all the mighty oceans and the high seas. Closer to the here and now, modern-day London is a vibrant mix of plays, pageantry, galleries, clubs, history, great museums, and theatre. Britannia may no longer rule the waves, but she most certainly rules your senses - pleasure senses, that is! You’ve not seen life until you’ve seen London.

Oxford

Oxford is famous for its spires, and like all great cliches it's strikingly apt - looking across the medows or rooftops to Oxford's golden spires is certainly an experience to inspire purple prose.

These days, however, Oxford battles against a flood of tourists and some typical Midlands social problems. It is not just a university city, but the home of Morris cars with a bustling centre and some sprawling industrial suburbs.

Oxford University is the oldest university in Britain. The college began to appear from the mid 13th century onwards. These are now about 14,500 undergraduates and 36 colleges.

Birmingham

Birmingham is the most southerly of the great Midlands industrial cities and the second-largest city in Britain, with over one million inhabitants. Traditionally it has been thought of as a drab and dreary city with no essential sights and not particularly accessible to the short-term visitor. Recently, however, things have started looking up, with the restoration of the old canal network and the opening of numerous popular restaurants and bars in the Brindley-place area.

The Museum & Art Gallery has a fine collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and overlooks Victoria and Chamberlain Squares, both full of interesting statuary. The old Jewellery Quarter, where jewellery was made is also looking much smarter and houses a couple of interesting small museums.

Cambridge

Cambridge (population 100,000), 87 km north of London, can hardly be spoken of without reference to Oxford - so much so that the term Oxbridge is used to cover them both. The two cities are not just ancient and beautiful university towns; they embody preconceptions and prejudices that are almost mythical in dimension.

Cambridge University is the newer of the two, probably beginning some time early in the 13th century, perhaps a century later than Oxford. There is a fierce rivalry between the two cities and the two universities, and a futile debate over which is best and most beautiful. Oxford draws many more tourists than Cambridge.

Cambridge can easily be visited as a day trip from London or en route to the North. If you are seriously interested in architecture, however, you will need considerably more than a day.

Manchester

Probably best known for the Manchester United football team, the city that produced Oasis, New Order and The Smiths is also a monument to England's industrial history. The1990 saw agradual transformation of partsof thecitycentr, a process given added impetus by the IRA bomb blast of 1996 that devasted much of the area round the Arndale Shopping Centre. The bombing has allowed the city to create some wonderful public spaces and stunning modern architecture but there are still areas where empty warehouses and factories rub shoulders with stunning Victorian Gothic buildings, rusting train tracks and motorway overpasses with flashy bars and nightclubs. The longer you stay, the more you'll like Manchester. Not many cities in England can rival its vibrancy and nightlife, its gay scene and fantastic sports facilities.

Liverpool

Liverpool's strong ense of identity is closely tied up with the Beatles, Liverpool and Everton football teams, and the Grand National horse race, run at Aintree since 1839.

Liverpool's contrast between grandeur and decay - decrepit streets and boarded-up windows, massive cathedrals and imperious buildings - creates some of the most arresting sights in Britain. On weekends the centre vibrates to music from countless pubs and clubs, a vivid testimony to the perverse exhilaration of the city's decline.

Glasgow

Glasgow, with a population of nearly 620,000, is one of Britain's largest, most interesting cities. Though it's not as instantly attractive as Edinburgh, Glasgow has some fine Georgian and Victorian architecture, and a vibrancy and energy that's lacking in more staid Edinburgh.

Glasgow is the most Scottish of cities - a unique blend of friendliness, urban chaos and black humour. There are some excellent Art Galleries and Museums (most free), Good-Value Restaurants, Countless Pubs and a lively arts scene.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh (population 409,000) has an incomparable location, superb architecture (16,000 of the city's buildings are listed as archtecturally or historically important), excellent pubs and one of Britain's most dramatic castles. In some ways, however, Edinburgh is the least Scottish of Scotland's cities - partly becuse of the impact of tourism, partly because of its closeness to England, and partly because of its multicultural and sophisticated population.

The royal capital since the 11th century, all the great dramas of Scottish history played at least one act in Edinburgh. Even after the union of 1707 it remained the centre for government administration. With devolution and the location of the new Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, the city once again wields real political power.

Blackpool

Welcome to the town that doesn't stop, with entertainment around the clock.

Forget all those home routines and u-n-w-i-n-d in splendid seafront style. Cosy cafes selling tasty cream teas or something stronger in your glass in one of the modern cafe bars or restaurants. Try an outside table as you watch the world go by or enjoy the atmosphere inside a favourite bar after sunset.

Bustling and busy nightlife, but time can stand still for a shimmering reflection of a graceful Tower skyline in calm water.