Visiting England in your lifetime is probably on most everyone's bucket list. Home to beautiful architecture, historical landmarks, and natural scenery, England is sure to be breathtaking. England is not massive by any means, in fact it is a little over half the size of California. Although it is rather small, it packs a huge punch. In England you can find Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge, and many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
It would be pretty hard to get to every landmark and castle that England has to offer, but there are a few spots that are musts. These top cities and counties hold the most spectacular attractions that everyone can appreciate.
Cotswolds
Cotswolds is a region in south central England that covers 790 square miles and five different counties. People describe Cotswolds of being in a "different era," because of the villages that look like they came right out of an earlier time. Cotswolds is known for its rolling hills, otherwise known as "wolds." This area is the largest of all 38 Areas of Oustanding Natural Beauty. Aside from the beauty and unique atmosphere in Cotswolds, there is plenty to do. There are many different festivals year-round, and museums to visit.
Dorset
Dorset is a county on the southern portion of England, right on the coast of the English Channel. Dorset is famous for having the best weather in the entire United Kingdom; in fact, the county gets roughly 384 more hours of sunlight on average a year. If you need a reason to enjoy the extra sunlight, Dorset has almost 100 miles of shoreline with sandy beaches. There are a number of towns in Dorset that are a must visit such as Weymouth, Portland,West Bay, Osmington and Burton Bradstock. Each town offering a picturesque calm escape from modern city life.
London
This is one of the more obvious attractions in England, being that it is the capital. Not only that, but it is also the home of the Buckingham Palace. There are so many reasons why you need to visit London at some point that you may need to dedicate at least a week there. You can see the world famous Tower Bridge, the London Eye, or just leisurely stroll through the numerous museums and cathedrals. The Tower of London is one of the top tourist attractions in London. This famous building was once a royal palace, prison, arsenal, jewel house, place of execution and a zoo.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a place you cannot pass by when you travel to England. It is not only where you can find beautiful cathedrals and gardens, but it is home to the very famous Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument that is surrounded by burial grounds. Most people say that it is the experience of a lifetime to visit this World Heritage site. Another must-see in Wiltshire is Salisbury, a cathedral city from the 13th century. The Salisbury Cathedral has the world's oldest surviving mechanical clock that was added on in 1386.
England is full of so much history and culture that it is so hard to narrow down the list of places to visit. These four attractions are ones that you should not miss if you get the chance to visit. It all feels like you stepped into another world, or another era. England is constantly defined as "quintessentially English," which couldn't be closer to the truth. The villages, cathedrals, and land marks will take your breath away while opening your eyes to the beauty of this country.