The historic town of York, a two-hour train ride north of London, is loaded with time-capsule sights. You can marvel at the York Minster, England’s finest Gothic cathedral, and ramble the Shambles, the wonderfully preserved medieval quarter. Visit the Victorian era at the Castle Museum and explore the days of the Vikings at Jorvik. York has it all.
The York Minster – the pride of the city – can be seen from everywhere in the old town. The massive cathedral seats 2,000 comfortably, and can hold 4,000 tightly packed worshippers on Christmas and Easter. Evensong concerts – held every afternoon – are a great way to experience the Minster in musical and spiritual action.
The Minster, which sits on the remains of a Romanesque church, was begun in 1220 and took 250 years to complete; imagine the generations of workers it took. You can scale the cathedral’s 275-step tower for a panoramic city view, or descend to the crypt and foundations. As you wander the lower levels, ponder the fact that Constantine was proclaimed Roman emperor here in 306 A.D. His troops declared him emperor, and six years later, he went to Rome and claimed his throne.
The Romans called York “Eboracum.” A nearby column -across the street from the cathedral – commemorates the 1,900th (yes, 1,900th) anniversary of the founding of the city.
York is a city of layered history. A walk through the Shambles makes you feel like a villager in Shakespeare’s England. It’s the most colorful old street in the half-timbered, traffic-free core of town. Ye olde downtown York feels made for window-shopping, street musicians and people-watching.
The 100-yard-long Shambles was once the “street of the butchers” (its name is derived from shammell – a butcher’s cutting block). In the 16th century, it was draped with red meat. On the hooks under the eaves once hung rabbit, pheasant, beef, lamb and pigs’ heads. Fresh slabs were displayed on the fat sills. The soil under the Shambles wasn’t great for building, and the houses and storefronts show the result, with windows and walls that slope and lean in a shambling, rambling way.
Along with the Minster and the Shambles, York has the Castle Museum – truly one of Europe’s top museums. If you’ve ever wanted to be able to go back in time, this is your place. The museum includes the 19th-century Kirkgate – a collection of old shops well-stocked exactly as they were 150 years ago. You’ll also see a working water mill, prison cells and a century of swimsuit fashions. A visit here gives you a great sense of the domestic side of the World War II era. The museum proudly offers no audioguides, as the living guides in each room are enthusiastic about explaining the exhibits.
Along with the Romans, York’s other famous residents were the Vikings (who named the town Jorvik), and the Jorvik museum remembers them with flash and panache. It’s like Disneyland with a bit more history (and as much square footage dedicated to the gift shop at the museum itself). You’ll get on a train car and ride through the re-created Viking street of Coppergate (circa 975). Before you’re done, you’ll browse through a small gallery of Viking shoes, combs, locks and other intimate glimpses of those rampaging redheads.
Finish your time in York with a fun guided tour. The after-hours Haunted Walk ghost tour is filled with masks and surprises. Or, to get off your feet, try a relaxing dinner cruise. You may not feel like a Viking as you lazily float down the River Ouse. But who needs to pillage when York is yours for the taking?
Rick Steves of Edmonds (425-771-8303, www.ricksteves.com) is the author of 30 European travel guidebooks including “Europe Through the Back Door” (published by Avalon), and is the host of the public television series “Rick Steves’ Europe,” airing weeknights at 7 p.m. on KCTS-TV. This week’s schedule:
Monday: Paris
Tuesday: London
Wednesday: Ancient Ireland
Thursday: Dublin
Friday: North Wales
Rick Steves’ company, Europe Through the Back Door, hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at the Edmonds Theater (415 Main St., in Edmonds). Upcoming classes, held at 10 a.m.: Aug. 6, Packing Light and Right. Reservations are recommended; book online (www.ricksteves.com/ seattle) or call 425-771-8303.
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