York is a city on the River Ouse in northern England. Its history goes back to the Roman Empire under the emperor Vespasian, where it was founded in the year 71 with the name Eboracum as a military fort for a legion. Eboracum became one of the most important Roman cities in England. After the Romans, the city became the capital for a period under the rule of kings and counts.

In 866, Danish Vikings conquered York, and for almost a century they ruled a kingdom from the city, which they called Jórvík. The Normans invaded in 1066, and a castle was then built in York, which in the following centuries became the seat of an archbishop and an important trading center. York flourished until the 15th century, after which times of decline came. In the 17th century, York grew again and was for a period the country’s third largest city.

Today, York’s lovely Old Town can be explored on some interesting walks through the city and its history. For example, you can start in The Shambles, which is a preserved street from the otherwise historic York. Along the street there are houses that date back to the 14th century medieval town.

The street’s name comes from the many butchers that were once located here. Today, The Shambles is a major tourist attraction with typical half-timbered houses, where the floors are built outwards in increasing height. When you are in The Shambles, you can see several houses in Newgate Street, where there is also a popular market.

In the center there are other sights and several exciting museums as well. One of the most visited places is the Jórvík Viking Centre, which depicts Viking Age York through dioramas and finds. The museum is open in the Coppergate shopping centre, where during excavations, preserved parts from this time in the city’s history were found. Next to the Viking center is St Mary’s Church, where you can see projections of Van Gogh, and from here you can go south to York’s old castle area.

On top of a hill is Clifford’s Tower, which was the entrenched core tower of the Norman York Castle. South of the tower are three buildings, all of which are more recent constructions on the castle grounds. You can visit the York Castle Museum in a former prison building from 1780-1783, and the tower-adorned building was built 1701-1705 as the Debtor’s Prison. Dick Turpin was imprisoned here, and his cell is part of the museum.

At York Castle you can see part of York’s old city walls, which are still beautifully preserved on large parts around the city, and this is the case both east and west of the River Ouse. The walls were erected in the 13th and 14th centuries, and more than three kilometers have been preserved, incl. some city gates.

You can take a nice walk around the city if you want to see and explore all the old gates and walls. To the south-east are the city gates of Walmgate Bar and Fishergate Bar in the area close to York Castle. From here you can cross the Ouse and follow the walls to Victoria Bar and perhaps the most impressive city gate, Micklegate Bar. From here you continue north and north-east, crossing the Ouse again before reaching Bootham Bar and finally Monk Bar, reminiscent of Micklegate Bar.

On tour at the northern part of the city walls, you pass York Minster, the city’s large and impressive cathedral. The oldest parts of York Minster were built in the 1230s, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1472 as the largest Gothic cathedral in England. The building is 148 meters long and the three towers are all 60 meters high.

Inside you can experience a magnificent church with many interesting details such as the choir and the large stained-glass windows. The octagonal Chapter House next to the church is a special attraction with its decoration. King Edward I held a parliamentary session in the Chapter House in 1297. West of York Minster you can go to the city’s museum area with, among others, Yorkshire Museum and York Art Gallery.