Hill-walkers will face far more difficult climbs for much less scenic reward – these really are some of the most spectacular views to be found in this part of the country.

Shropshire Plain, UK by Dpaajones

Legend has it that The Wrekin was the work of giants who still live somewhere below the surface. The name derives from the Celtic ‘wre’ and ‘ken,’ translated as ‘most conspicuous hill.’

One-time capital of the ancient British Cornovii tribe who recognised the value of its strategic position, The Wrekin rises 1,335 feet above the northern panhandle of Shropshire’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Cornovii’s iron age hill fort stretches almost 20 acres across the summit.

For history lovers

Just a few miles from The Wrekin, one of the largest remaining examples of a Roman settlement exists at Wroxeter, where ‘The Old Work’ is an eight-metre high wall that once formed part of the fourth largest city in the province.

Originally part of a basilica in Viroconium – built beside the old Roman road of Watling Street – the Wroxeter Roman City was once home to 5,000 people in the 2nd century AD.

Extensive remains still visible today of this early feat of architectural engineering include parts of a market hall and tavern, and an underfloor heating system which once graced the communal bath-house.

For walking enthusiasts

Shropshire offers some seriously superb walking country, with over 3,500 miles of rights of way to choose from including Offa’s Dyke and the Severn Way.

From September 7th to 9th, the Oswestry Walking Festival offers five separate walks over varying distances, including the 12-mile Oswald’s Ring, nine-mile quarry and Offa’s Dyke, and a four-mile trip to the old hill fort and Hengoed.

Visit www.oswestrywalkers.co.uk for further information.

What else to see

Stokesay, Shrewsbury and Ludlow Castles, the Seven Valley and Telford Steam Railways, the Ironbridge Gorge Museums….there’s plenty for everyone in this most picturesque and diverse of counties.

For smaller visitors, the Hawkstone Park and Follies offers a fantasy land of cliffs, chasms, caves, labyrinths and woods – sharp-eyed youngsters will recognise many of the scenes from the BBC’s TV series Chronicles of Narnia.

The park’s Feather Falconry gives kids a chance to experience a nature lesson up close with owls, hawks and falcons, and a medieval weekend here from August 25th to 27th will take them back in time to experience life as it was in the 12th century.

Nicki Williams is a copy writer for Gear-Zone – on-line, outdoor specialists in walking and hiking footwear, wet weather clothing, and down jackets

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City of Carcassonne lies on the river Aude in the southern part of France. Carcassonne has a long history, there was oppidum already in the Iron Age, which was later transformed to the Roman city in the 1st century BC, and in the 11th century AD this Roman city was the strongest one in the county. Because the city was not controlled by church, Carcassonne soon became a haven for medieval intellectual elite.

Carcassonne was very open and tolerant city until 1659, when was conquered by the French and lost its position. Thus began the decline of the city, people left and Carcassonne deteriorated.

The medieval city centre is situated on a hill above the river. In times of decline of this old town there had grown a new town under the hill along a river.

The city centre was saved in the 19th century thanks to the reconstruction led by Viollet le Duc. This controversial architect reconstructed also Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris, which was his first work. Some people admire him for his extensive reconstructions which ensured France a lot of curious tourists that are coming here just to see his work. On the other hand, others disagree with the method of his work. Viollet le Duc just found an original fragment, and repeated it over and over again. The result is that the buildings are far away from the original form. Although the sights have typical signs, but those are not completely correct or at least not in such combination (e.g. respecting the original architect’s intent). But finally it is something unusual and tourists just love it.

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The city centre is surrounded by walls, within which you can find a church, castle, museum and a labyrinth of medieval streets with shops and restaurants.

Sweet France offers visitors lots of different attractions and sights. One of the places worth visiting is the medieval city of Carcassonne. If you are going to the south of France or you are heading for the Pyrenees, do not miss this place, because here you can really feel the Middle Ages.

Once you are around Carcassone do not miss the Canal du Midi. It is a remarkable technical monument, which connects the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The canal was built to ensure fast and safe transport of goods between ports in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The project dates from 1662 and its author was Paul Riquet. The canal was completed in less than twenty years after approval of the project and its construction employed 120 000 workers.

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Mechelen is situated in the “Flemish diamond” area, a densely populated part of Belgium, among the Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and Louvain (Leuven). Found Artifacts from the period of La Tene, prove settlement already in the Iron Age (400 BC). Later there were Gallic-Romans in Mechelen and after those there were Germans.

In the 8th century, under the influence of Irish missionaries and preachers St. Rumbold, the residents went to Christianity. St. Rumbold’s Cathedral – Gothic cathedral is one of the landmarks of the city, built between 13th to 16th century, and has 97m high tower with two bells. The Cathedral is registered on UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From the 16th century it comes another important landmark of the city, Small and Large Béguinages (Begijnhof), a unique complex of buildings belonging to Beguines, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mechelen is a picturesque town with its typical atmosphere of winding streets, shops and cafes with a strong Belgian coffee or hot chocolate. In the center you will find a market where you can buy sweets. The best place for shopping is the square Ijzerenleen, which was famous in the Middle Ages for its fish market.

Another interesting tourist place in the city of Mechelen is the square Grote Markt, where you can find a statue of Margaret of York, and three current City Hall buildings: the late Gothic Paleis van de Groote Raad from 16th century, Gothic Belfort from 14th century and Lakenhal from 14th century. The square is surrounded by Renaissance buildings from the 16th century, rococo houses from the 18th century, and is dominated by the already mentioned St. Rumbold’s Cathedral.

In Mechelen you can find many other religious buildings, such as the Baroque basilica Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Hanswijk and other churches.

Other important buildings in Mechelen are the late-Gothic palace of Margaret of York, which now serves as a theater and the Palace of Margaret of Austria, originally the seat of the High Court, today the Palace of Justice. The beautiful Renaissance palace gardens are now accessible to the public.

In 1835, the first railway on the European continent was built between Brussels and Mechelen.

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Wookey Hole Cave, England, UK by Jim Champion

The cave is mostly known for the Witch of Wookey Hole which can be seen inside of the cave itself. This human shaped figure according to legend was once a Glastonbury monk who was turned to stone by a local witch hundreds of years ago.

The caves themselves have been inhabited for more than 50,000 years. More recently though the caves have been used as a place for the curing of cheddar cheese. The caves maintain a year round temperature of 11°C which makes them perfect for not just curing of cheese, but for keeping someone cold throughout the hot days of summer.

A number of archaeological discoveries have been made in the cave over the years. The last major inhabitants of the cave were hunters back in the Iron Age. However, discoveries have been found in and around the cave that have been dated back to the Roman Empire.

Cheddar Cheese in Wookey Hole Cave, England, UK by stephen jones

The oldest discoveries in the cave were made back in the mid 1850s. William Boyd Dawkins who had only recently moved to the area heard that some workers had found some old bones in the cave and he went to investigate. Soon, the remains of a man that dated back to the Paleolithic were uncovered.

Where the river finally emerges for the last time, an old paper mill was built. Known as the oldest paper mill in Britain, it was originally built back in 1610 and continued to operate until 2008. However, prior to the paper mill, a corn mill was situated in the area. The corn mill was first constructed back in 1086.

Another popular attraction in the area that surrounds Wookey Hole Cave is that of Ebbor Gorge. While the village can get quite busy during the peak season, many people chose to make their way to the gorge which is a more peaceful and tranquil spot to visit.

Since 1973, the mill and the caves in the area have been owned and operated by Madame Tussauds. As a result, tourism to the area has exploded and millions of people make their way to Wookey Hole Cave every year.

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Those who are adventurous enough can make their way up to the Loch Skeen. The picturesque views of the area surrounding the peaceful loch are worth the almost hour-long walk it takes to reach.

Grey Mare’s Tail, Scotland, UK by Leon Pettit

Within the park, you will also find an earthwork fortress that dates back to the Iron Age. Known as Tail Burnt, the old fort was built upon a hill that has become known over the years as the Giant’s Grave.

If you are really up for an adventure, then you will need to bring your hiking boots because the trip up the side of White Coomb is a treacherous one. You may need to make your way through a herd of wild goats that live along the slopes of the hill. But the adventure is worth the effort as you stand over Tail Burn Gorge and simply admire the beauty that is the Grey Mare’s Tail Nature Reserve.

Since not everyone is willing to take the long and tiring trek up to the top of White Coomb, there is a visitor’s center which comes complete with a CCTV system. From the center, you can watch over the nest of a Peregrine Falcon and even see the entire Tail Burn Gorge. Most of all is that the visitor center offers a state of the art interactive system that will help you to learn more about the nature preserve as well as its long and colorful past.

There’s a reason why so many people over the years have made their way to the Grey Mare’s Tail Nature Reserve. The picturesque views of the valley, gorge and loch are definitely one of the biggest reasons to visit the area. Enjoying a peaceful day in the wilderness and a chance to become closer with Mother Nature is another popular reason that so many have visited the park to date.

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