Historic York

This little town is gigantic on history. It began in A.D. 71 as Eboracum - the northernmost city of the Roman empire.
Then it was known by the Anglo-Saxons as Eforwic.
Vikings later took the town, naming in Jorvik.
And finally, the conquering Normans claimed it as York and thus it has stayed since the Medieval times. Through the many kings and queens of England, the upheaval of religious strife - from Constantine claiming this land as Christian at the very site of York Minster Cathedral to Henry VIII instituting England's Anglican Church (a sort of mixture between Catholic and Protestant traditions), York has stood as a powerful religious and historic center in the north of England!
So what is there to see and do in this fantastic little town? Read on and you'll find out!
York Minster:This is the largest Gothic church in Western Europe and said to have more stained glass than any other! The stained glass is beautiful and has been preserved for hundreds of years. In fact, it survived WWII by being hidden in stately homes throughout Yorkshire until it was safe to return it to the cathedral! The craftsmanship and attention to detail on the outside is easily overlooked when the church is taken as a whole, but when seen in detail, is truly amazing!
The massive nave, lit almost entirely by the natural light through stained-glass windows.For Easter, a massive wooden cross is displayed.

To experience the cathedral in all of its glory, one must attend an evensong, taking place every evening! The photo below is of the quire, where the music is performed during the service. Because the size of the choir is smaller than the amount of seats provided, people who come to worship during the service are welcome to sit here. I attended the evensong on Tuesday evening and sat in the seat marked with the light blue square!
This window shows St Peter, holding a Bible and a key. The key reminds on-lookers that the key to heaven is found in the Word of God!
Climbing the Tower - 275 narrow, spiral steps upward to the top of the tower!

The Streets and Shops:

Enter the old town area through either Monk Bar (pictured below), Micklegate Bar, or Bootham Bar (in Viking-time, bar meant gate and a gate is a street!).Enjoy curved streets, snaking their way through boutiques, cafes, and snickleways!Always a Starbucks when you need one! Of course, just about everything can be found on these streets, from antiques to second-hand charity shops, common sandwich shops, to high-end tea cafes.

The shortest street in York, but with the longest name (means "neither one thing nor the other")

Fancy a fine hat, ladies?

This little red devil overlooks an old Roman road, now known as Stonegate.Here begins the most colourful street in the old town... Shambles. Notice the hooks at the top of the building? In the 16th century this street was famed for being the butcher's block and from these hooks hung prime slabs of rabbit, pheasant, beef, lamb, and even pigs' heads!
The soil here wasn't too sturdy (anyone ever heard of the wise man building his house upon the rock?), so the buildings went a bit wiggly as you can see. The roofs are nearly touching!
Newgate Market is full of fresh produce, cheap clothing, used books, and beautiful flowers!
Snickleways - this town is full of them! A snickleway is a covered street or walkway... like this one!Where to have tea? Try Little Shambles Tea shop... tea and scone with clotted cream - only £3.95!

The Castle Museum:

Basically, this museum is like an old Victorian homeshow, with all the rooms of an Victorian-period home recreated inside... even a whole Victorian street! Just outside the museum is the last of which remains from the original 13th century castle - Clifford's Tower. You can imagine its gradeur in the highlight of its time over 600 years ago!Getting some Exercise

The Riverside Walk--
If you'd prefer getting out of the busy shopping and sight-seeing area, the Riverside Walk is just the thing to do. I walked it in the morning and met some lovely people out walking their dogs! The walk goes for about a mile, after which you can cross a newly built bridge and head back into town on the opposite side of the river!

Walking the Walls--

The Romans built the original walls around this city, but they were expanded upon during the Medievaltimes. The Victorians almost tore it down - actually started to! But one man stood on top and raised enough support not only to save the wall, but to reinforce it, add to its grandeur and even to make it user-friendly to the public.

There are

almost

3-miles

of walls

to walk!

Most

enjoyable

and with

beautiful

views!

Other Churches:

There are many, many other churches throughout the old town! Almost all of them are open to the public to view. I went in 5 or 6 of them. Here is one of the most unique:

Instead of regular pews, it had pew boxes. Each family had their own pew box and would generally bring their servants with them to church. The servants, however, had to sit backwards - not able to see the alter!
St Mary's Abby--Long before the Mister had its glory days, the Monks worshiped in a beautiful Abby on this spot. When King Henry VIII shut them down, all items of value were taken out of the church and it was pirated for its stone (to build houses and such!).

Theatre Royale:

After taking in evensong at the Minster, I went to a show at the local theatre! I watched The 39 Steps, a hilarious comedic murder-mystery that just moved up to York from its previous engagement in the West End in London.

Where to stay?

Try Queen Anne's B&B! Thanks to Rick Steve's suggestion, I stayed at this quaint little B&B just 5 minutes walk from Bootham Bar. There's nothing like a comfy bed and a full-English breakfast to refresh a person after a day of fun in York!