Norwich

Norwich is one of Britain's hidden gems - a riverside city where ancient buildings rub shoulders with modern ones - with a pub for every day of the year and more medieval churches than any city in Western Europe. But the first stop for any visitor has to be the Cathedral. Begun in 1096, it's one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Britain - a magnificent display of ecclesiastical grandeur with hundreds of roof bosses telling the story of the Old and New Testaments. Outside is Cathedral Close, a collection of houses around a green that's often used for films and costume dramas. Wander past the Georgian and Victorian houses and you will eventually come to the Adam & Eve on Bishopsgate.

This small pub has everything going for it, beamed ceilings and good, cheap food (the Sunday roast is worth booking for), a large garden and local Adnams beer, served warm. Built as an alehouse in 1249, its first customers were labourers working on the nearby cathedral and it's been serving students, clergy, locals and visitors ever since. Pubs like the Adam & Eve are just one of the reasons why Norwich is usually rated in quality of life surveys as one of the best places in Britain to live. It's not a grand city, but it is one of the best-preserved, and is said to have the smallest rainfall in the country. Geographically isolated by the sea on one side, and the Fens on the other, the Industrial Revolution passed Norwich by, but it's a prosperous city, now increasingly home to high-tech companies, a fact that contrasts with the archaic names of the streets - look out for Lower Goat Lane, Rampant Horse Street, Lobster Lane, Tombland and Pottergate, among others. Several churches in the centre have been turned into arts centres and museums, while Augustine Steward House on Tombland sells antiques.

Many of Britain's best-known contemporary fiction writers, like Ian McEwan and Rose Tremain have studied and lived here. Each May, the Norfolk and Norwich Festival features music, film, theatre and talks. The restaurants are good, especially along Upper St Giles which houses Norwich's poshest eateries, including the Michelin-starred Adlards, and Loch Fyne, a fish-based restaurant that is particularly strong on shellfish. By Appointment, near St Andrews Hall, is a lavishly-furnished restaurant, which specialises in classic English cuisine such as roasted suckling pig, it also has four hotel rooms.

But the most famous food associated with Norwich is mustard, which Colman's have made in the city since the 19th century. Along with other exhibits, Bridewell Museum delves into the subject in touching detail - with old machines, advertising signs as well as shop fronts. True enthusiasts should also drop in at the Mustard Shop Museum in the Royal Arcade - which features even more memorabilia as well as a full range of Colman products.

Elm Hill is usually acknowledged as the prettiest section of Norwich - a winding, cobbled street with half-timbered 16th century houses, bustling with antique shops and cafes. On the corner is the Britons Arms; the building is over 500 years old and the cakes are renowned. But, just as you think everything in Norwich comes with cobbles, low ceilings and wooden beams, you come to its market place. Norwich's wealth used to come from the land that surrounds it and its market is the largest in Britain, with covered stalls selling everything from locally-caught Cromer crabs to second hand books and vegetables. It's busiest on a Saturday but if you're there during the week, the local Women's Institute have a stall on Thursdays; its cakes are famous.

Otherwise, should you not want to buy a sack of turnips or a new pair of Wellington boots (and you might not), above the market is Norwich Castle, first built in 1100. Today it's a museum and art gallery, which houses works by the landscape artists known as the Norwich School. And there is shopping. The trendiest clothes stores are in the streets surrounding Pottergate (which is also home to a very good fish and chip shop). In particular, take a look at Hemingways and Lust in Lower Goat Lane, Exile in St Benedicts and Dogfish/Catfish in Bedford Street. On the other side of the market, Country & Eastern is worth searching out. Just off Bethel Street, it sells oriental rugs, furniture and clothing in a building that was once a Victorian skating rink.

In magnificent contrast to the city’s medieval buildings is the architecturally stunning Forum. Here you will find the state of the art visitor attraction ‘Origins. Situated over three levels this interactive attraction takes visitors on a 2000-year journey through the history of the region.

Norwich's most innovative art gallery is a short bus ride away, at the University of East Anglia. The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, next to a lake is housed in one of acclaimed architect Norman Foster's earliest buildings. This striking steel and glass hangar houses a mixture of works of art by Giacometti, Henry Moore and Francis Bacon, as well as an acclaimed collection of art from Africa and the Pacific. On a good day, it's also the perfect place to go for a walk in the Norfolk countryside.