Norwich, the largest city in Norfolk, is a place rich with heritage. In fact it boasts 12 internationally-acclaimed heritage sites. Among these are Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral and the ancient Norwich market place. Additionally, it is a city of culture, as the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, among other locations, attests.
Norwich may have been made infamous by Steve Coogan's character Alan Partridge, but it deserves fame on its own account. It is also ideally situated for visiting Britain's magical area of wetlands, the Norfolk Broads.
Norwich lies on the River Wensum and is regarded as one of the most picturesque cities in the country, highly regarded for the cobbled streets and museums of its Old Town. It can trace its history back to the late Anglo Saxon period and is the most complete medieval city in England, with more than 1,500 historic buildings. A sense of history pervades the city and this heritage be enjoyed in a number of locations.
The 11th-century Norwich Cathedral is the most complete Norman cathedral to be found in England. The 315-feet high spire is the second tallest in the country and the exquisite monastic cloister is the largest of its kind. When you have absorbed the history and admired the architecture, why not relax in the Refectory restaurant and coffee shop?
Norwich Castle is also a museum and art gallery. The fortress was built on the orders of William the Conqueror and you can explore his keep, battlements and dungeons, as well as admire the extensive collections of archaeological finds on display. There are also permanent fine art and natural history exhibits.
The city's outdoor market is the largest in the country. It has some 200 stalls and can trace its history back to the 11th century, when the Normans used the area to supply their colonists following the conquest. Other interesting heritage sites include the lovely Art Deco City Hall and the 15th-century Guildhall, the largest civic building from the Middle Ages still in use outside of London.
A much-loved local attraction, Colman's Mustard Shop and Museum, reflects 180 years of the venerable condiment. This painstaking evocation of a Victorian era shop can be found in the Art Nouveau Royal Arcade.
On the campus of the University of East Anglia is the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. Housed in a building designed by Norman Foster, this combined gallery and museum houses many thousands of artefacts spanning some 5,000 years of human history.
If you need a Norwich car hire you can pick up at Norwich Airport (NWI) or from downtown locations in the city and be out and about amid this hauntingly lovely landscape and on to beach resorts such as Great Yarmouth, Cromer, Sheringham and Hunstanton within minutes.
