Rick Steves Recommends Taking A Train From London To This 'Beautiful Medieval City'

For travelers who love to immerse themselves in history and culture, Great Britain is a must-visit. This rain-swept island floating off the coast of mainland Europe is bursting at the seams with fascinating heritage and ancient historical sites. From standing stones used in pagan rites for millennia to dramatic stone castles, not to mention some of the finest museums in the world, Great Britain is a magnificent place for historically-minded travelers to explore.

European travel expert Rick Steves heartily recommends the UK as a travel destination. Even his least-favorite part of the U.K. is a destination worth visiting, and his blog is filled with recommendations of places to visit and things to see, from ultimate hikes in the Lake District to fairytale villages in the Cotswolds. One of his favorite spots is Canterbury, a "beautiful medieval city [which is] an easy train ride from central London."

Canterbury is the historic capital of Kent, situated in the southeast corner of England. It's just over 60 miles from central London, and reachable in around an hour and 45 minutes by car, or under an hour by train. The closest international airport is London Gatwick, just over an hour away by car. Canterbury is half an hour's drive from Dover on the south coast, meaning arriving by ferry or train from mainland Europe is an extremely convenient option.

It's easy to see why Steves and others have fallen for Canterbury's charms. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed city is a stunner, filled with some of the finest medieval architecture in Great Britain, and worth a place on Steves' game-changing guide on destinations in England for history buffs. The city center is dominated by the fabulous cathedral, one of the oldest religious buildings in the country. Founded in 597, the cathedral was enlarged and rebuilt several times over the subsequent centuries, until it was fully reconstructed in its current Gothic form after a devastating fire in the late 12th century. The cathedral has played a significant role in Canterbury's history, perhaps most famously as the place where Archbishop Thomas Beckett was murdered by two knights, allegedly carrying out King Henry II's bidding after his infamous "who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" speech.

Perhaps equally impressive are the medieval city walls that once surrounded the city center. While not as complete as those of York or Chester, Canterbury still boasts exceptionally well-preserved sections of impressive stone fortifications, as well as the Westgate, which has been converted into an excellent museum. The crumbling ruins of Canterbury Castle are also an interesting spot to explore, highlighting the importance of the city during the Norman period.

When Steves says "the town is rich in history and architectural splendor," he doesn't just mean the medieval cathedral, castle, and walls. Canterbury's history stretches back to the Roman period, and there are several surviving Roman sites worth seeing, like the Roman Museum with its mosaic pavement, the Queningate, and the Dane John Mound.

Canterbury has been a popular spot for visitors for centuries. In medieval times, it was one of the most famous holy sites in England, and "for centuries, it welcomed crowds of pilgrims to its grand cathedral," according to Steves. Its fame as a pilgrimage destination was immortalized by the poet Geoffrey Chaucer in his magnum opus, The Canterbury Tales, one of the most important works of English literature.

Canterbury's claim to cultural fame doesn't stop with Chaucer's pilgrims. The Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, a contemporary of William Shakespeare (who some claim was the true author of Shakespeare's plays), was born in the city, and his contribution to the English cultural canon is recognized by the excellent Marlowe Theater on Margaret Street. Fans of Shakespearean history should also check out The Shakespeare, a pub that was a theater during the 16th century.

Canterbury is also something of a hothouse for musical talent. The city was one of the driving forces behind the prog-rock movement in the 1960s and 1970s, and bands like Soft Machine, Egg, and Hatfield and the North all hail from this region. Ian Dury, lead singer of The Blockheads, even taught at Canterbury College of Art! Music fans should visit the city in October to coincide with the Canterbury Festival, which showcases some of the best artists in classical, jazz, and folk music from around the world.