When you mention Bath, most people will think of Jane Austen, quiet streets lined with Georgian architecture and the famous Roman washhouse that resides in the city’s centre. It’s pretty and historical, but there typically isn’t that much stuff going on. But what if we told you the quaint and quiet location had just been named the best city in the UK?
Luxe travel mag Condé Nast Traveller (CNT) has named Britain’s best cities, as voted for by its readers. This comes after the travel publication also revealed the planet’s best cities, which you can read about here. Each city was given a score out of 100, which correlated to overall average levels of satisfaction in each place.
Bath was crowned Britain’s best town by CNT readers, gaining a score of 97.78. The city jumped a mega five places from the 2024 ranking, when it placed in sixth.
CNT thanked Bath’s Roman attractions alongside a ‘recently revived restaurant and bar scene’, for the high score. Jane Austen’s 250th birthday celebrations has also made 2025 the ideal time to visit the bibliophile paradise, as literary events have been scheduled across the city throughout the year. You can read more about how to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday in the UK here.
Some of Bath’s best hotels include the the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, rated five stars by Time Out, and home to 45 immaculate and bespoke rooms; the pink and girly No. 15 by GuestHouse Bath; and the one-of-a-kind spa hotel, the Gainsborough Bath Spa.
Coming second in CNT’s ranking was Manchester with a score of 96.30, followed by London in third, which scored 92.56.
Time Out’s ultimate guide to Bath.
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