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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
Visitor Sketchbooks: fanciful flora Flowers and foliage appear in designs and decorations all over…
If you've ever been curious about how photography was done a century or more ago, this workshop…
On 14 December 2017, Omar Samra and Omar Nour, affectionately dubbed 'O2', set off in the world's…
Take a wild dip in England's largest lake – Windermere – with experienced open water swimmers.…
Brought to you by the National Trust and Experience Community for the Keswick Mountain Festival,…
We're excited to present our first ever Green Film Festival to celebrate the Big Green Week! Five…
Brought to you by the National Trust and Mobile Adventure, an opportunity to get out on the lake…
Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey that combines the power of nature, ancient…
Keswick Mountain Festival is the UK's largest participatory, outdoors multi-sports event in the UK.…
Create your own silver pendant or earrings inspired by the natural world. Silver clay is fun, fast…
Full and Half marathon distance Hike to raise money for Macmillan Cancer support.
Enjoy a freshly prepared buffet, a relaxed atmosphere and a unique viewing point for some of the…
Discover two remarkable Arts & Crafts houses in the Lake District in one afternoon. Blackwell – the…
As part of Lake District Music's spring series of concerts, London Central Brass Quintet perform at…
This week we'll be helping our special woods at Staveley Woodlands Nature Reserve. Try your hand at…
Fell Foot For All is a day of activities championing accessibility to the outdoors for…
Take a guided tour supported by British Sign Language interpretation. Join us as we take you…
The Whopper is a 6hr or 12hr looped trail race set within Whinlatter forest. Each loop is…
On the 31st May we're looking forward to welcoming Rambling Rob Young – A singer-songwriter…
Like the poets of antiquity, Wordsworth turns to vocal groves as sites of commiseration and…
Join us for an incredible adventure on Scafell Pike, one of the National three peaks and the…
Come and join us for a day's Canoeing from Fell Foot. Fell Foot has amazing accessible facilities,…
Join us for an incredible adventure on the Coniston Fells, a stone's throw from the historic…
Our 1/2 day NaturesGems tours start at 9am and finish around 1pm. We will spend the morning…
The Lake District Where modern tourism was born
Number of results: 495
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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