4 Best Sights in Harrogate, Yorkshire

Built in 1842 over the sulfur well (as Europe's strongest, its pungent odor is still very much present) that made Harrogate a wellness destination, the Pump Room housed in this octagonal structure sold 1,500 glasses of water to spa-goers in its heyday (so no, designer water is not a modern phenomenon). Today it houses the town's museum, which has displays of bygone spa treatment paraphernalia alongside a somewhat eccentric collection of 19th-century clothes, fine china, and bicycles.

These 200 acres of grassy parkland wrapped around Harrogate's Old Town become a riot of color in spring. Many of the mineral springs that made the town famous bubble below.

Dating from 1897, these Moorish-inspired, fully restored Turkish baths look virtually the same as they would have to the many Victorians who visited them. After changing into your bathing suit, relax on luxurious lounge chairs in the stunning mosaic-tile warming room. Move on to the increasingly hot sauna rooms, and then soak up eucalyptus mist in the steam room before braving the icy plunge pool. You can also book a massage or facial. Open hours are divided into single-sex and mixed sessions, so book in advance. Guided tours are given Wednesdays at 9 am.

Southwest of the town center, these 17 acres of formal gardens include a children's boating lake, tennis courts, skate park, adventure playground, paddling pool, and a little café.