The city of Chester boasts a broad and intriguing cross-section of English history stretching back more than 2,000 years. It was important in Roman times (the remains of the country's largest amphitheater are here), then again in the Middle Ages, and once more during an 18th-century revival. Chester still has much to show for its historical heydays. A well-preserved fortified wall, constructed during the Roman period and rebuilt over the following centuries, surrounds much of the city. Its ramparts are topped by a 2-mile footpath, providing a lovely vantage point on the pinkish red sandstone tower and spires of the medieval cathedral and passing the 19th-century Eastgate, where Chester's famous wrought-iron clock tower proudly stands.

Within the walls is one of England's best collections of half-timbered buildings, some of their façades a riot of black-and-white patterns. Especially famous are the Rows: highly decorated two-story buildings with connecting walkways above street level.

~~~~
Location: Cheshire, England