The historic city of York, England, is one of the highlights of a trip to the UK. With its fine medieval architecture, fascinating history and a long list of attractions its difficult to know what to do experience first. We talk about some of York’s top attractions in this article, including its popular ghost walks. Yes, did you know that York is reputed to be one of the most haunted cities in the world. This city is haunted by no less than 140 different ghosts, and with an amazing 500+ recorded hauntings it seems that every room, building or street seems to be haunted in this beautiful city.

The Minster, one of the finest and largest examples of Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe is also one of the oldest. The first church on the site was of wooden construction and was built in 627 to provide a place of baptism for Edwin, King of Northumbria. The minster has an amazing history – for example, the church was damaged in 1069 and repaired by the first Norman archbishop in 1070. Danish invaders destroyed much of the church in 1075, but it was rebuilt again around 1080, in the Norman style, the church now measuring 365 feet long.

Here is our list of top attractions for York:

York Minster The Minster provides the seat for the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office held in the Church of England. In the 11th century there was a series of Benedictine archbishops, including Ealdred, who travelled to Westminster to crown king William in 1066. Ealdred died in 1069 and is buried in the minster where his tomb can be seen by visitors today.

The Shambles This street is literally a place where you really do feel you have stepped back in time. The upper storeys of the fifteenth century houses marking each side of this street lean so far in that the roofs on either side almost almost touching each other across the street and in places you can shake hands with someone in the house opposite. If you walk down this street, you will also notice the raised pavements either side of the main cobbled road which form the channel through which the butchers who used to ply their trade here would wash away the offal and blood.

Clifford’s Tower The remains of York Castle built in 1068 by William the Conqueror to control the North of England. It is named after Roger de Clifford who was hung by chains here after the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322.

Jorvik Viking Museum This museum has welcomed 15 million visitors over the past 25 years. You can journey through the reconstruction of Viking-Age streets, as they would have been in the year AD975 when the viking invaders had control of the city.

When looking for a hotel in York be sure to check out Guy Fawkes Inn, the birth place of Guy Fawkes. Guy Fawkes is a colourful figure of English history, born in 1570 and famous for his role as ringleader of the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ which attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, on 5th November 1605. The plot failed however and the perpertrators hung. This is the source of the British celebrate ‘bonfire night’ festivities that take place each year around the 5th of November.

If you are looking for a place to stay in York full of character then you can do alot worse than a stay at The Guy Fawkes Inn. Located adjacent to the Minster it provides a very convenient base with which to explore the city. Some room seven have 4 poster beds, and the GastroPub restaurant offers a menu with old English dishes and serves a variety of ales brewed specially for the inn, make sure you try the the Guy Fawkes Ale.

Everyone knows travel can be expensive and it is worth the time and effort to research ways to keep costs down while still enjoying yourself. One of the little known ways of reducing travel costs is to look at the option of traveling off-season. Like any idea, there are advantages as well as disadvantages and you’ll want to carefully consider both when trying to decide if off-season travel is a fit for you.

The first and foremost thing to be kept in mind is that you should list out the places you would like to visit. You can take your pick between a deluxe resort in Vermont or in Colorado. These places might turn out to be very expensive in winter season, but you can get an off of around 75% from the regular rates if you are visiting the place in off-season. You might not be able to go skiing but you can still enjoy other activities like horse-riding, hiking and motor biking to the mountains around the place. You can in turn spend your savings on a lavish vacation, which would not have been possible otherwise.

Europe attracts tourists during winter season, with a lot of offers and discounts, which will enable you to enjoy a ?cultural vacation? Apart from saving money, the biggest advantage is avoiding the show-spoilers like waiting in the restaurants for your food to be served, standing in the queues. After all, you want your holiday to be as peaceful as possible, so avoid the crowd, and travel off-season.

It is always advisable that you choose your place for vacations very carefully. The task has been made easier by the government websites that have a separate account of the tourism department of every country. These tourism related information includes not only the places to see but also the local weather and other facilities available in a particular area. It also gives out information on other factors relating to that place. You should always keep in mind that weather is the primary factor for deciding upon a venue for vacation, especially in season travel. Hence, it is advisable that you confirm the basic factors from the government websites before deciding your destination.

Inquire about the rents at hotels and inquire at different hotels. Hotels want to remain full, no matters which season it is. So by inquiring at different hotels, you can increase your chances of getting a cheap and nice deal. It is always advisable to talk to the manager of the hotel rather than dialing number 800.

One thing to remember is that some hotels will discount their room prices if they are in the middle of renovations. Be sure to ask if this is the case and if there are any plans for construction work during your visit. What a disappointment it would be to have a lovely room but be disturbed all day and night by the sound of hammering!

The morale of the story is that if you are planning to go for an off-season vacation, you should make sure you have a strong groundwork on the place you want to visit as well as the amenities you can take advantage of during your stay. By keeping these factors in mind, you can actually have a great vacation with great savings.