Visit Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Harrogate tourist information

Harrogate is a popular and attractive spa town to the south of North Yorkshire, north of Leeds and close to Knaresborough.

Harrogate has an extensive partly-pedestrianised shopping centre, with a wide range of specialist and 'High Street' shops, galleries and antique shops, as well as the large indoors Victoria Shopping Centre (near the train station), the more quaint Montpellier Quarter shops (down Montpellier Hill from the cenotaph); westminster Arcade (near the Turkish Baths) and various out-of-town hypermarkets. There is a very wide choice of restaurants, pubs and cafes to suit all tastes and budgets, and a good selection of hotels (some very upmarket).

Harrogate attractions

While there are several individual highlights, it is the general appeal of the town that is the big attraction, above all due to the Georgian architecture - a result of Harrogate's beginnings as an 18th century spa town - and the large expanses of open gardens and parkland (the  'Valley Gardens' and the 'Stray''). Be sure to spend time exploring the streets along the 'stray' and around the outside of the shopping centre to see many fine examples.

Bettys Tea Rooms of Harrogate: One unusual highlight for visitors to Harrogate is the chance to visit 'Bettys Tea Rooms', well known across Yorkshire as an 'experience' offering high quality refreshments and traditional teas made from top-quality ingredients in attractive surroundings (there are now several other Bettys Tea Rooms in other locations across Yorkshire). Open in Harrogate since 1919, you can visit Bettys in Parliament Street (near the Cenotaph).

Turkish Spa Baths: no visit to England's longest established spa town would be complete without a trip to the spa baths themselves! Beautifully decorated in authentic Turkish and Moorish designs, the Harrogate Turkish Baths and Health Spa now offer a wide range of relaxation and therapeutic treatments.

Royal Pump Room is now a museum commemorating the town's history as a spa town

Mercer Art Gallery: established since 1806, this is Harrogate's best known art gallery, and features a very extensive collection of paintings spanning the last 200 years (situated near the Royal Pump Rooms)

Harrogate Parks and Gardens

There are two main open park areas in Harrogate, each surrounded by well preserved Georgian and Victorian buildings:

Valley Gardens, extensive garden area laid out quite formally in places, criss-crossed by paths, and with various children play areas and crazy golf; an area of woodland, Sun Pavilion, bandstand. Think 'son-of Central Park...'

'Stray', used commonly for ball games, picnics, visiting fun-fairs and simply taking a stroll - the Stray covers 80 hectares, a very extensive area defined and protected by law. Especially attactive in spring when the trees are in blossom and flowers cover large aresa of the grass, or at night before Christmas when the trees are lit up

Other smaller parks and gardens can also be found in Harrogate, including Crescent Gardens (next to the Royal Pump Room). A little way out of the town centre, the Royal Horticultural Society maintain the Harlow Carr gardens, an extensive (50 acres) area containing a wide range of different garden styles and designs.

Photos of Harrogate