Yorkshire has more square miles, 1000 in fact, of national parkland than any other region in Britain – visit the wildflower meadows in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, feel the presence of the substantial landscapes of the Peak District National Park or explore the blanket of purple heather uplands of the North York Moors National Park.
If a change of lifestyle is what you require, then Yorkshire is your ideal place, a real pick and mix of not only landscape and sea but atmospheres and history too. It’s a rare pleasure to escape to one of those incredibly pretty villages, complete with traditional pub and tea-rooms, that remain unchanged from the days of the Morris Minor. Or, if a faster pace of life excites you, there’s a decidedly 21st-century Yorkshire out there waiting to entertain in cosmopolitan centres like Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and Hull. The one common factor you’ll come across in this dynamic, diverse region is an engaging, welcoming atmosphere. Yorkshire folk are inviting and involving. They’re down to earth, approachable and friendly.

Yorkshire’s coastline also has something to suit all tastes from popular seaside resorts and traditional fishing ports to miles of unspoilt sandy beaches to explore. Seaside holidays were invented in Scarborough, a resort which has long been a popular holiday resort ever since its glorious Victorian days – stroll along the esplanade and elegant gardens, build sandcastles on the fine beach and reveal in the amusements and entertainment that so many people love about Scarborough. To get away from the masses, visit the ancient fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay, a short distance from maritime Whitby. Extremely picturesque, its narrow cobbled streets, rock pools and cliffs make this village a treasure to visit. Also worth a visit are the safe, sandy beaches of Cleethorpes, the quieter resorts of Hornsea and Withernsea and the award-winning beaches at buzzing Bridlington.

Yorkshire has an array of attractions to offer like wildlife parks, steam railways, museums and some fantastic Millennium attractions such as The Deep at Hull, Magna at Rotherham, The Earth Centre near Doncaster and of course, the biggest Gothic Cathedral in Europe – the magnificent York Minster. The York Minster overlooks the City of York and is renowned worldwide as an artistic and architectural masterpiece offering a wealth of history for you to discover and plenty of things to see and do for all ages.

Yorkshire has two World Heritage Sites and both portray very different eras in the region’s history. Fountains Abbey is a golden-stoned 12th Century Abbey perfected by an immaculate Georgian water garden and one of Europe’s most amazing places. Saltaire near Bradford presents an alternative picture of perfection – a perfectly preserved model village built for industrial workers in the 19th century. Salts Mill has been reopened as a gallery and arts and crafts centre where you can see works by David Hockney, a famous son of Bradford.

Walkers are drawn to Yorkshire for its gentle, scenic coast paths and its sheltered dales, rolling chalk wolds, wildflower meadows and heather moors. In contrast, Yorkshire also has its share of testing long-distance hikes, the craggy tours of the Peak District and the refreshing open spaces of the North York Moors. Yorkshire has three National Trails and lots of other long-distance walks for you to enjoy at your own pace. There are plenty of family friendly routes too with waymarked trails and easy paths. Choose one which takes you through towns and villages and stop for lunch at a cosy pub or tea shop.

Walking is just one part of an activity-packed scene. Lift off on a hot-air balloon or spend lazy days on a canal boat. Go riding at Rocky’s Western Trail Adventures near Holmfirth, birdwatching at the RSPB’s Bempton Cliffs reserve near Flamborough Head, or cycling in the peaceful Yorkshire Wolds. Try sailing and fishing at Hatfield Water Park, Doncaster, and off Yorkshire’s spectacular Heritage Coast. Play great golf on almost 200 courses. Go diving at Redcar, or surf some of the best waves in the country, at Saltburn.

In addition to those grand country houses, world-famous heritage sites, big-name attractions, hills, dales and moors there’s another side to the region. The quirky yet entertaining side – seek out Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate, York’s shortest street – just 100ft/30m from top to bottom – yet has the longest name!

There’s more than meets the eye at Aldborough near Boroughbridge. This picture-perfect village (there’s even a maypole on its village green) has hidden depths – it’s built on the foundations of a major Roman city. Wharram Percy in the wolds near Malton is a lost medieval village. Abandoned in 1500, it’s England’s ‘best preserved uninhabited village’. Tiny Thorpe Salvin, an idyllic oasis between Sheffield and Worksop, enjoys a big reputation for its floral displays (it’s a regular winner of the ‘Britain in Bloom’ best small village award). You can’t miss the village of South Dalton near Beverley. It’s visible for miles around thanks to the spire of St Mary’s Church, which reaches 200ft/60m into the sky.

Yorkshire’s attractions keep everyone entertained. Theme and farm parks, mazes and amusements offer traditional family fun. Then there’s the new breed of state-of-the-art high-tech attractions where you play your part as an active, not passive visitor at places like the National Coal Mining Museum for England, Wakefield, which takes you to the darkness of deep underground or Eureka! The Museum for Children in Halifax, where you can touch, listen, feel, smell, as well as look.

Shopping in Yorkshire really is special. It’s funky and functional, trendy and traditional, a unique mix of time-honoured family emporiums ultra modern designer shopping. You sometimes have to rub your eyes when travelling around the region. It’s full of those smallish village and town shops that seem to have disappeared from High Streets elsewhere. It still has the butchers and bakers where you’ll receive good, old-fashioned service and have the pick of beautifully presented local food and produce.

Fashion junkies will head for Leeds. The city’s Victoria Quarter and Corn Exchange are spectacular on at least two counts – for their stunning Victorian architecture and their dazzling choice of designer shops and boutiques, which includes the supernova superstore Harvey Nichols.

Leeds is just one of the stars of Yorkshire’s sophisticated shopping scene. Sheffield’s intriguing mix of shops includes the trendy, upbeat Devonshire Quarter, home to the funky Forum. Barnsley’s Pollyanna is at the cutting edge of style and lifestyle as one of the North’s best designer shops. And in York, you can go boutique and antique shopping, wander the Shambles, possibly Europe’s best-preserved medieval street, for specialities or bag something classical or chic at places like Sarah Coggles.

It’s a delight to wander the streets of places like Hawes, Richmond, Helmsley and Beverley. These and many other characterful old market towns have been serving their local communities for centuries and they still take a pride in continuing to offer a personal, friendly service. This is shopping true Yorkshire style, where you’re likely to see a family hardware store packed full of galvanised buckets and other household paraphernalia side by side with a gallery selling exquisite antiques and art.

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