Salisbury is a small city in Great Britain, located in the southeast of Wiltshire on the banks of the Avon River. Until the 8th century it was the center of the bishopric. And starting from 1227, fairs, which are held here to this day, became the main city event.
Modern day Salisbury is a cute provincial town and one of the most atmospheric cities in England. Its streets are a real encyclopedia of history and architecture. The massive walls of medieval fortresses give way here to grand mansions from the Tudor era, and Georgian houses give way to discreet villas from the era of Queen Victoria. From a distance, its appearance has not changed much since the romantic painter John Constable painted his famous painting "Salisbury Cathedral", but in the center of the city life is full of life. There are shopping centers, many restaurants and pubs, as well as green parks. And even military jets that periodically take off from local air bases do not spoil this picture.
HOW TO GET
The nearest airports are located in Southampton, Bournemouth (about 40 km) and Bristol (100 km), but it is most convenient to get to Salisbury from London, the distance between the cities is about 130 km.
By car
The M3 highway leads from London to Salisbury. There are signposts along the entire route, there are no toll areas, but sometimes there are traffic jams (it is optimal to leave early in the morning and on a weekday). The journey will take about two hours, excluding traffic jams.
On the bus
Buses to Salisbury leave 4 times a day from Victoria Coach Station in London. The journey will take about 3 hours and the fare will cost from GBP 8 per passenger. It is more profitable to buy tickets in advance, they will be more expensive before boarding. The prices on the page are indicated for March 2019
On the train
Trains to Salisbury depart daily every 30 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. from London Waterloo station (less often from London Paddington). Tickets cost from 9 GBP (for 2nd class), it is also profitable to buy them in advance, the journey will take no more than an hour and a half.
The Cathedral Connection bus route connects Salisbury with Winchester, giving you the opportunity to see the two majestic cathedrals of South-West England at once and admire idyllic rural landscapes. The bus leaves every day, the journey time is 1.5 hours.
TRANSPORT
The historic center of Salisbury, where almost all attractions and most pubs and shops are concentrated, can be reached on foot in 15-20 minutes. So it makes sense to use transport only when exploring the outskirts of the city, for example, located 3 km from the city of Old Sarum - the remains of ancient Salisbury. To do this, you can order a taxi or take a bus. In the first case, the trip will cost 8-10 GBP, in the second - from 1 to 3 GBP. Taxis should be sought at the main "checkers" parking lot on New Canal Street, or near the train or bus station.
The city is convenient to explore by bicycle. It can be hired from Hayball's Cycle Shop for £25 per day. The rental office is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and also provides maps of bicycle routes around the city.
HOTELS
There are about 35 hotels in Salisbury, most of them located in the city center. For accommodation in a 3-star hotel within walking distance of the main city attractions, you will have to pay 110-130 USD per day for a room for two. Prices for apartments outside the center start from 80 USD per day. Some hotels are located in old buildings of the Victorian era, the prices for accommodation in them are slightly above average, but there are occasional discounts.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SIGHTS
The city's number one attraction is Salisbury Cathedral, which for many years inspired the London romantic artist John Constable for his best works. The temple was built in the first half of the 13th century. in the Gothic style, it has been perfectly preserved to this day and is considered one of the best examples of classic English Gothic. The cathedral is famous primarily for its spire, which is the highest in Great Britain - 121 m.
The base of the belfry spire can be climbed by 332 steps of a narrow spiral staircase.
Pointed arches, pointed spiers, perfect rosettes and faceted stained-glass windows give way to restrained white marble interiors. Among the exhibits of the cathedral are a clock that has been working since 1386, a font in the form of a cross made of patinated bronze and one of the four surviving original copies of the Great Charter of Freedoms of 1215.
Salisbury's most interesting civic house is Wilton House. The mansion was built in the 16th century. by the Earls of Pembroke (now their 18th descendant lives here) and constantly improved. In 1603 the premiere of Shakespeare's play "As You Like It" took place within the walls of the mansion, and numerous films were shot in the 20th century, such as "Barry Lyndon" by Kubrick, "Pride and Prejudice", "Mind and Feelings". Among the masterpieces of the collection are original furniture and lampshades, wall frescoes and canvases by Van Dyck, Rembrandt and Joshua Reynolds.
Wilton House houses a Russian sleigh that belonged to the "Russian Countess of Pembroke" - Kateryna Vorontsova. The Palladium Bridge in Wilton Park so captivated Catherine II that she ordered an exact copy of it to be built in Tsarskoe Selo.
The atmosphere of ancient Salisbury can be felt in the Old Sarum Archaeological Park (and at the same time you can see the foundation of the first cathedral) and in the Cathedral Quarter, the houses of which have hardly changed in the last 7 centuries. The best examples of urban architecture are the 13th century Archbishop's Palace, the Matron College and the Mompesson mansion. On the ancient Market Square, you need to look for a stone cross of the 13th century with the image of a bird, which once marked the bird rows.
Salisbury has its own society of artists who exhibit in galleries in the city centre. One of them is located in the library - a very atmospheric place.
Surroundings
The world-famous architectural monument Stonehenge is located 13 km from Salisbury, which steadily attracts many tourists to the city. It is one of the most mysterious places in the world: a complex of 30 roughly hewn huge pillars and slabs of stone, placed on top of each other in concentric circles. What is Stonehenge - the subject of many years of controversy among scientists: some consider it a temple, others - an astronomical observatory, others - a tomb, and the fourth - a place of ancient rituals, and this is far from a complete list of versions.
Every year in late May - early June, Salisbury hosts an Arts Festival with theater productions, concerts, exhibitions, performances and other cultural events. Dates float every year, the exact time and program can be specified on the official website.
SHOPPING
City shopping centers are located on three main streets of the city: Old George Mall (The Old George Mall), Maltings (The Maltings) and Winchester Street (Winchester Street). The assortment of local shops - popular European and local British democratic brands. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, there is a colorful market on Market Square, which is worth visiting if only because it has been open here twice a week for over 800 years.
You don't need to go anywhere specifically for souvenirs, they are sold in abundance in small shops near attractions, prices are approximately the same everywhere.
CAFES AND RESTAURANTS
In Salisbury there is no shortage of food: there is a huge number of all kinds of fast food, brasseries, pubs, bars and restaurants. The most expensive are Indian and Mexican cuisine establishments; lunch in them will cost 7-9 GBP. Classic "fish and chips" are a little more expensive - from 10 GBP.
Anokaa Indian restaurant is considered one of the most popular in the city, it is very stylish, the waiters are dressed in national clothes, the menu is varied, and the quality of the dishes is always at the highest level. Another worthy place is the Eastern Chillout restaurant, it serves Eastern cuisine (mainly Lebanese and Moroccan), unpretentious interiors, but very tasty.
