Lincoln

Lincoln's compact size means most of its accommodation clusters around two distinct areas, and where you choose to stay shapes the character of your visit as much as any single sight does. Uphill, in the shadow of the castle and cathedral, historic buildings on Bailgate and the surrounding lanes have been converted into boutique hotels with genuine medieval and Georgian bones, the kind of places where low beams and thick stone walls are part of the appeal. These properties put you within a few minutes' walk of the cathedral, the castle and the antique shops and tearooms of Steep Hill, and they tend to fill up fastest around the Christmas Market and university graduation weekends.

Downhill, around Brayford Pool and the railway station, the accommodation is more contemporary: waterside chain hotels with lake views, business-friendly rooms and easy access to the train line, alongside budget options aimed at travellers who want a comfortable base rather than a historic one. This area suits anyone arriving by train, visiting for business at the university, or simply preferring modern facilities and reliable parking to period charm.

Guest houses and B&Bs fill the gap between the two, many of them in handsome Victorian villas on Carholme Road and around South Common, a short walk or bus ride from the centre. These tend to offer better value and a more personal welcome than the hotels uphill, with hosts who know the city well and are generous with recommendations. Across all three areas, book early for December weekends and the summer Steep Hill events, when the city's relatively limited stock of rooms is quickly taken.

Lincoln rewards a couple of unhurried days rather than a flying visit, with most of its sights within easy walking distance of one another.

• Lincoln Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece that was for centuries the tallest building in the world; climb its towers for views across the county and look out for the carved Lincoln Imp.
• Lincoln Castle stands opposite the cathedral and holds one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, displayed alongside the 1217 Charter of the Forest in a purpose-built vault.
• Steep Hill is the cobbled medieval street connecting the two halves of the city, lined with independent bookshops, tearooms and antique dealers.
• The Collection and Usher Gallery bring together Lincolnshire's archaeology and fine art, from Roman finds to Peter de Wint watercolours and a fine Tennyson collection.
• Brayford Pool is the city's waterside quarter, a natural lake used as a harbour since Roman times and now lined with bars, restaurants and the university.
• Newport Arch, at the top of Bailgate, is the oldest Roman arch in the country still carrying traffic beneath it.
• The International Bomber Command Centre, just outside the city on Canwick Hill, tells the story of the airfields that once covered Lincolnshire, known during the Second World War as Bomber County.
• Lincolnshire Life Museum and the nearby Ellis Mill, a working Victorian windmill, give a picture of rural county life before the aircraft arrived.

Lincolnshire's food identity runs through the city's menus: Lincolnshire sausage, thick-cut and heavily seasoned with sage, appears on breakfast tables across the city, alongside Lincolnshire plum bread, a dense fruited loaf traditionally eaten with cheese. Stonebow Market and the surrounding independent butchers and delicatessens are good places to try both.

The Bailgate and Steep Hill areas hold the highest concentration of independent cafes and restaurants, from long-established tearooms to newer bistros serving modern British menus using Lincolnshire produce, including the county's asparagus, in season around Cathedral Quarter venues each May. Brayford Pool has a more contemporary strip of waterside restaurants and bars, popular with the university crowd and busy on weekend evenings.

Lincoln also has a strong pub tradition, with several historic coaching inns near the castle and cathedral serving cask ale from Lincolnshire breweries such as Bateman's, based in Wainfleet, alongside newer craft producers. The annual Lincoln Christmas Market brings food stalls selling mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and regional specialities into the streets around the cathedral each December.

Lincoln sits within easy reach of open Lincolnshire countryside, and the campsites around the city reflect the county's quieter, more agricultural character rather than any coastal draw. Nothing sits directly within the historic centre, unsurprisingly given its medieval street pattern, but a handful of well-run sites lie within a few miles, close enough for an evening trip uphill to the cathedral while still offering genuine rural surroundings by day.

The closest option is the council-run touring park inside Hartsholme Country Park itself, on the western edge of the city, which combines proper campsite facilities with direct access to woodland, lakes and cycle paths without needing a car to reach the centre. Further out, small farm sites around villages such as Branston and Haddington offer a quieter, more traditional camping experience, often family-run, with dark skies and views back towards the cathedral across open fields.

Facilities vary considerably between these sites, from simple certificated locations aimed at experienced tourers to family-friendly farm campsites with glamping options and play space for children, so it is worth checking what each offers, particularly around electric hookups, showers and whether tents are welcomed alongside caravans and motorhomes, before booking.