The Thermae Bath Spa, which uses the same water enjoyed by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago, is Britain's original and only thermal spa. The complex is a blend of historic and contemporary buildings, and includes the Minerva Bath, steams rooms and an open-air rooftop pool.
The spa offers two-hour and four-hour sessions, and therapists provide more than 50 spa treatments. The original Roman Baths, now a museum, are the heart of the Bath World Heritage Site. The baths consist of a temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water.
Bath has more than a dozen museums, galleries and other attractions to educate and entertain visitors. The Building of Bath Collection, housed in a Gothic chapel, tells the story of how the city of Bath was developed, built and lived in. The Jane Austen Centre celebrates the city's most famous resident. Number One Royal Crescent, a restored and authentically furnished townhouse, shows how fashionable residents lived in the 18th century. The Victoria Art Gallery has works by many prominent English artists, including Gainsborough, and the Fashion Museum has a collection of garments that spans the past 400 years.
Bath has a variety of hotels with their own spas. The Royal Crescent Hotel, in the center of town, has the Bath House Spa, which features a 12-meter relaxation pool. A short stroll from the heart of the city is the MacDonald Bath Spa Hotel, set in a Georgian mansion on seven landscaped acres. The hotel offers a spa, butler service, and fine dining.
Housed in another Georgian mansion, on the outskirts of Bath, is the Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant and Spa, which features an outdoor heated pool as well as an indoor pool in its Garden Spa. (Reference 2)
Bath's eateries run the gamut from temples of fine dining to pubs, with establishments that serve all types of cuisine at a wide range of prices. For an elegant dinner, try the Park Restaurant at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa. The restaurant, which has a Michelin star, is set in the former ballroom of a palladian Mansion on 500 acres of grounds.
For afternoon tea, try the Jane Austen Centre Regency Tea Rooms or the Pump Room, part of the Roman Baths complex. Don't leave Bath without tasting the Sally Lunn Bun, a local delicacy served at Sally Lunn's restaurant. (Reference 3)
