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England’s best-known and most popular national park is a postcard landscape of shimmering lakes, craggy hilltops and ancient forests that has enchanted poets and painters since the late 18th century, when the Romantics first had their imaginations stirred by the panoramas that have remained unchanged to this day.
And what panoramas they are. There’s the classic Lakeland setting of Windermere, England’s largest lake and the primary destination for millions of tourists since the railroad was first built in the middle of the 19th century. On it is busy Bowness and the charming villages of Grasmere and Hawkshead, surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountains.
The north lakes – Ullswater, Bassenthwaite, Derwentwater, Loweswater – are quieter and wilder, in the shadow of the rugged Skiddaw range and with handsome Keswick at the heart of it. The lush Borrowdale Valley leads to the dramatic Honister mountain pass and into the natural lakes of Buttermere & Crummock.
Adventure seekers go west, to the higher ground of Great Langdale and the region’s major summits of Bowfell, Crinkle Crags and the biggest mountain of all, Scafell Pike.
The Lake District is an outdoor activities paradise, but its literary connections draw as many visitors as its walks do. William Wordsworth lived virtually all of his life here, drawing inspiration from the surrounding countryside to write some of the English language’s most enduring poetry. The landscape also proved a creative spark for the likes of Sameul Taylor Coleridge, Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter – who dedicated much of her life to protecting the Lake District’s beauty and heritage.
In all its beauty and diversity the Lake District remains as it has been for millennia, which is one of the reasons why in 2017 the national park was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site – its river valleys, lakes and mountains home to an unique hill-farming culture and ancient heritage that has been carefully preserved. Here in the Lake District we know how to take good care of you; we’ve had plenty of practice.
Explore
The Whopper is a 6hr or 12hr looped trail race set within Whinlatter forest. Each loop is…
Visitor Sketchbooks: fanciful flora Flowers and foliage appear in designs and decorations all over…
Keswick Mountain Festival is the UK's largest participatory, outdoors multi-sports event in the UK.…
Stuck for things to do this May Half Term? Whether you are a thrill seeker looking for…
Like the poets of antiquity, Wordsworth turns to vocal groves as sites of commiseration and…
If you've ever been curious about how photography was done a century or more ago, this workshop…
The full Flower (or Hare) moon aligns with the colourful early summer flowers blooming and…
Enjoy a freshly prepared buffet, a relaxed atmosphere and a unique viewing point for some of the…
Brought to you by the National Trust and Mobile Adventure, an opportunity to get out on the lake…
Brought to you by the National Trust and Mobile Adventure, an opportunity to get out on the lake…
A one and a quarter-hour cruise to catch the sunset over Windermere. This relaxing cruise takes…
Little Explorers story and nature walks for under 5s and their grown-ups. These fun interactive…
Discover two remarkable Arts & Crafts houses in the Lake District in one afternoon. Blackwell – the…
Brought to you by the National Trust for Geo Week. Come and join us for a rare opportunity to visit…
Develop your hand building techniques to create a range of pots that you will fire the following…
Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey that combines the power of nature, ancient…
Our 1/2 day NaturesGems tours start at 9am and finish around 1pm. We will spend the morning…
Looking ahead to Friday 24th May, we'll be welcoming Jack Hartley to The Swan. An Avid player on…
Join us for an incredible adventure on Scafell Pike, one of the National three peaks and the…
The Challenging Whinlatter Forest is the venue for this Trail Half Marathon & 10k in May 2024. With…
Our 26th Keswick Beer Festival will take place on the 7th and 8th June 2024.
Nestled on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria, this extensive working mill produced literally…
The Swan Hotel & Spa are excited to be bringing back summer spa-rties, and this time it's going to…
On 14 December 2017, Omar Samra and Omar Nour, affectionately dubbed 'O2', set off in the world's…
The Lake District Where modern tourism was born
Number of results: 495
, currently showing 481 to 495.
Keswick
Not only is the Scafell Hotel in one of the most stunning locations in the Lake District, but great food, great wine, great beer and of course great service makes our 2 AA Rosette restaurant an eating destination.
Eskdale
There is gorge scrambling, there is canyoning, then there is The Esk Gorge. A mega place with massive jumps into crystal clear waters. The pools are deep and big offering lots of swimming and scrambling along the rocky edges too.
ULVERSTON
Fast and exciting, Canoe Sailing is a great sport to experience!
Yes, you can: Users of Mobility aids, anyone who can sit with support, wheelchair users, unsure or low confidence walkers, visually impaired people, people with auditory impairments,…
Bassenthwaite
Go wild & experience a world of wildlife! There's over 100 species from Anaconda to Zebra. Rare and endangered species like Gibbons and Asian Fishing Cats, plus family favourites like lemurs and Meerkats. A great day out for all the family.
Cumbria
At Contours Holidays, we think that the Bob Graham Round is simply too good a route to be restricted to elite fell runners, so we’ve turned it into an awesome walking holiday by extending the route slightly, so that each day ends in a village with…
Newby Bridge
Paddle Windermere to a remote shore, light fire and cook on open fire. We are an inclusive company and welcome people of all abilities.
Ambleside Rd, Windermere
With stylish decor overlooking the lake, Blue Smoke is the perfect place to catch up with friends and family.
Keswick
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica graphite mine which would have served as the source of the pencil industry over three centuries ago.
Borrowdale, Keswick
Rock climbing is one of the fastest growing sports and Borrowdale, close to Keswick is the perfect place to have your first experience of outdoor rock climbing as it is close to where some of the first ever rock climbs were completed. There are…
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
77 reviewsPenrith
The Byre was formerly used for keeping cattle on the ground floor, with hay stored on the first floor i.e. in the hay loft. The Byre has been converted to a very high standard with oak wood used throughout, retaining the original beams.
Keswick
Keswick Launch offers 50-minute cruises around Derwentwater. Rowing boats and motor boats are also available to hire.
Sedgwick, Kendal
Family attraction, maze, soft play, go karts, animals, pets, events, parties and refreshments.
Grasmere
This delightful traditional 2-bedroom Lakeland cottage is idyllically situated in a quiet, elevated and secluded rural position above Grasmere next to Little White Moss Tarn a short walk from Dove Cottage.
Troutbeck, Penrith
Wide range of activities including Horse Riding, Quad Biking, Go-Karting, Archery, Clay Pigeon Shooting and Stalwart Army truck, Paintballing, Air Rifles and many more!
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
528 reviewsAmbleside
Sitting right on the shore of England’s most famous lake, The Wateredge Inn is the perfect location to eat, drink, sleep and explore from with unrivalled views across Windermere.
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Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL