• The Groves, riverside (Behind Grosvenor Park). The Groves is Chester's own riverside promenade running alongside the River Dee from the Grosvenor Park to the Old Handbridge (which gave it's name to one of the suburbs on the other bank). The Groves is one of Chester’s premier open spaces, running along the city bank of the River Dee. It became a promenade in the early 1700s and is now part of a longer Riverside Promenade. In 1726, the area was leased to Charles Croughton who secured the river bank and planted an avenue of trees. By the late 18th century it had become known as The Groves. The City Walls also became a fashionable place and during the 18th century, the circuit was modified and the Groves and the walls were connected through the construction of Recorder’s Steps. In Roman times, this section of riverside was a series of quarries where stone was extracted for building the fortress. In Saxon times, The Groves was probably the main port area and may have had a concentration of leatherworking. The Groves is also the best place to go to take a trip down the river itself through all manner of vessels from motorised tour-boats to row boats and, in warm weather, even pedaloes.  edit
• Grosvenor Park, (via Grosvenor Park Road). Grosvenor Park is a classical, 19th century designed park with a typical Victorian layout that includes formal avenues lined with trees, large sweeping lawns surrounded with ornamental shrub beds and bedding plants, which provide a colourful display throughout the spring and summer months. The park is located near the River Dee and with views across the river to the meadows and Queen’s Park and out towards the south of Chester. Grosvenor Park was one of the first public parks in Britain outside of the big industrial cities and was given to the city of Chester in 1867 by Richard Grosvenor, the Second Marquess of Westminster.  edit

• Boating. Along the river. Rowing boats can be hired, or if you don't want to exert yourself, there are many boat trips that go from the river bank on the city centre side between Handbridge Suspension bridge and the walls, and they show you everything you will want to see!  edit

• Chester Racecourse, ☎ +44 (0)1244 304 600 (enquiries@chester-races.com), [9]. Located on the Roodee, originally the site of the Roman port. If you're really keen on horseracing, find out the dates of the 'races days' Chester hosts a few times a year. You may have to book tickets in advance, and there is quite a range of prices. If you just want to see a bit of the race atmosphere for free, the walls walk you right past a view of the action down below. City centre bars are best avoided before and after the races!  edit

• Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1LH, ☎ +44 (0)1244 380280 (reception@chesterzoo.org, fax: +44 (0)1244 371273), [10]. Well worth a visit, the zoo is absolutely superb and reportedly one of the best in Europe. The elephant collection is world class and it has a unique bat cave where they fly freely around visitors. It's best to leave 3-5 hours to do it properly. It's a little way out of the city centre, so either catch a bus from the bus station, or take the train from Chester Station to Bache on the Wirral Line. The latter option is extremely quick (under five minutes) and correspondingly cheap. £10-12.  edit

• Grovesnor Museum, 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester. CH1 2DD., ☎ 01244 402008, [11]. 10.30 - 5 Mon - Sat, 1 - 4 Sun. Small but informative museum majoring on the city's Roman heritage.  edit

• Dewa Roman Experience, Pierpoint Lane, Bridge Street. CH1 1NL., ☎ 01244 343407, [12]. 9 - 5 Mon - Sat, 10 - 5 Sun. Interactive museum about Chester's Roman history, with hands-on exhibits. If visiting in term time worth waiting until after 3pm to avoid parties of schoolkids.  edit

• The Cheshire Military Museum, The Castle, Chester. CH1 2DN., ☎ 01244 327617, [13]. 10 - 5. Museum remembering the county's military past, with archives, a shop and changing exhibitions.  edit

• Open-top Bus Tour. Will get you round all the main tourist sites in 30 minutes. Several bus operators run tours: Heritage Tours [14].  edit

• Christmas Lights, city center. December. Chester is the prettiest city in the run up to Christmas when the streets are tastefully decorated with lights. The shops are hectic but try a walk round the walls after 5 pm.  edit

• Cathedral, 12 Abbey Square, ☎ +44 (0)1244 324756 (fax: +44 (0)1244 341110), [5]. 9AM-5PM. Adult £4, child 5-16 £1.50, senior £3, family £10.  edit

• Grosvenor Park, [6]. The main ornamental park in Chester and includes a pond, miniature railway [7] and children's play area.  edit

Roman Chester

Chester (or "Deva" in Latin) was one of the great military bases in Roman England, and as such, has its fair share of Roman ruins. Historians have even speculated that had the Roman departure not happened, Chester would have become the Roman Capital of England.

• Walls. The city centre is enclosed by the walls, which offer a pleasant strolling route for visitors and locals alike. Walk around the top of Roman walls that surround the city.  edit

• Amphitheatre, Vicars Lane, Chester (Adjacent to the Grosvenor Park), [8]. Believed to have been the site of the largest wooden structure ampitheatre in the Roman Empire outside of Rome for it's time, with a larger stone ampitheatre later built on-top of the foundations  edit

• Roman Gardens. With reconstructed hypocaust.  edit

• Spud u Like, Bridge Street. The basement of this shop gives access to an original hypocaust.  edit

By train

• From London [2] - five direct trains a day to and from London; otherwise a single change of trains at Crewe connects with many other London trains. Chester is on the North Wales Coast line, over which trains starting at Crewe and Manchester run to Llandudno and Holyhead; direct trains also run from and via Chester to Birmingham, Cardiff and Shrewsbury.

• From Liverpool (40min) and Birkenhead - Chester is a southern terminus on Merseyrail's Wirral Line which provides direct trains.

• From Manchester (90min) - a second line runs between Chester and Manchester - the journey is the scenic route in all senses of the word. The trip takes substantially longer, but travels through rural Cheshire before reaching Manchester's outer suburbs. So if time is of the essence, you would be advised to take the more regular aforementioned rail journey and save around half an hour in travelling time.

By car

Chester is situated near the eastern end of the A55, which becomes the M53, which crosses the M56. London is approximately 170 miles by road, Birmingham approximately 90 miles, Manchester approximately 40 miles, Liverpool approximately 15 miles.

By coach

Most national coaches stop in Chester. Chester coach station in the city centre has now been closed. The coaches stop at a bus stop on Vicars Lane, opposite the Visitor Centre near the Roman Amphitheatre.

• National Express [3]

The city centre itself is relatively small, with everything within walking distance. During the day there are regular buses, or one can take a taxi.

• Abbey Taxis 100 Foregate Street,Chester. 01244 318318 Taxis & Private Hire Vehicles [4]

Chester has fantastic shopping for its size. All the major stores are based in one of the most attractive city centres in the country. Traditional black and white Tudor buildings and The Rows (an historic two-tiered shopping gallery, the only one of its kind in the world!) coupled with good shops and great places to eat, such as The Watergates Wine Bar, are sure to make this a pleasant shopping trip.

If that doesn't satisfy your consumerist needs, Cheshire Oaks is a designer outlet 10 miles away by bus or car.

Good choices for food are:

• The Watergates Bar, 13 Watergates Street, ☎ +44 (0)1244 320515. A historic Norman crypt dating from the 11th Century on the main cobbled streets just under The Rows. An extensive menu with loads of choice all at a reasonable price. Well worth a visit.  edit

• Piccolino, 33 Pepper Row, Pepper St, Chester CH1 1EA, ☎ +44 (0)1244 312123 (cpiccolino@rbgltd.co.uk, fax: +44 (0)1244 344869), [15]. Italian restaurant. Piccolino serves a huge selection of dishes and has very good service. When you go, go for the antipesto for starters!  edit

• Siam, City Road. A well-converted canal-side building (above Harkers Arms).Upstairs is good-quality Thai menu. Downstairs is Teppan-yaki style Japanese food, prepared in front of you with all the performance of juggling utensils, fire etc. Dinner £25-35.  edit

• Pastarazzi, 29 Grosvenor Street. Situated in a beautiful old building near the racecourse. Offers fine dining at expensive prices.  edit

• Brasserie 10-16, Brookdale Place, Chester, CH1 3DY, ☎ 01244 32 22 88. Whether you want for a quiet lunch, business dinner, romantic treat or full on celebration, 10-16 caters for everyone who appreciates fabulous food, excellent service and attention to detail at reasonable prices.  edit

• Ego, 14-16 Grosvenor Street, Chester, CH1 2DD, ☎ 01244 346512. Opened November 2000, popular with families, students and business people. Located in the heart of the city of Chester means it is easily accessible to theatres, cinemas, bars and of course the races.  edit

Chester has plenty of historic, old-fashioned English pubs, with beer at around £2.50-£3 a pint. However, most places will stop serving at around 11:30pm, and even a little earlier on Sundays. The only true exception being Watergates which trades until 2am on Friday's and Saturday's.

• The Watergates Bar, 13 Watergate Street, ☎ +44 (0)1244 320515. A great setting in an old church crypt under The Rows. Generally relaxed by daytime with a stunning rooftop garden. Attracts a lively crowd in the evening with great music and a wide range of cocktails, beers, shooters, spirits and bottles.  edit

• The Bear and Billet, Lower Bridge Street. Recently renovated seventeenth century tavern features a wide selection of beers in convivial surroundings. Decent food too.  edit

• Ye Olde Cottage Inn, Brook Street, Chester (Turn right out of station, follow Brook St towards City Centre. On Left Hand Side opposite Spice Balti.). Good local pub, serving real cask ale and selection of beers, wines and spirits. Real log fires in winter, excellent beer garden at rear. Traditional English pub, oak beamed and bar, with pool and darts. Home of the famous B-Troop Darts Club, saviours of pub darts.  edit

• The Falcon, Lower Bridge Street. An old tavern situated at the top of Lower Bridge Street - allegedly haunted in its basement - it serves an excellent range of beer from the Sam Smith's brewery.  edit

• The Marlbororough Arms. When it needed its sign painting, the artist stopped to quench his thirst half-way through, and the rest is history. Very close to the city centre, outside it offers a 'husband-creche', where ladies can deposit their hapless other halves for an afternoon's shopping in peace.  edit

• The Albion Inn, Park Street, Chester, CH1 1RN, ☎ +44(0)1244 340345, [16]. . Defiantly traditional, 'family-hostile' pub with walls covered in First World War memorabilia. Excellent beer and good home cooking.  edit

Bars

• Watergates, 13 Watergate Street, ☎ +44 (0)1244 320515. For late night drinks in a superb setting, you have to visit Watergates. An old church crypt under The Rows that is deceptively large with long barrels rooms and a hidden snug, great for that chill out and chat with friends. Attracts a lively crowd in the evening with great music and a wide range of cocktails, beers, shooters, spirits and bottles. Open until 2am on Friday's and Saturday's  edit

• Amber Lounge.  edit

• Bar Lounge.  edit

Clubs

There are only a handful of night clubs and late bars to choose from. The latest any club will stay open in Chester is 3am.

• Branigans. The new favourite with the locals. A great place with a fantastic atmosphere.  edit

• Telford's Warehouse. One of the best clubs, alongside the canal.  edit

• RB's (Rosie's). Ground floor is an 80's Bar, Reflex. Two more floors playing different music. However infamous for frequent reports of trouble and "heavy-handed" behaviour with the doorstaff  edit

• Cruise, 4 St.John’s Street, Chester. CH1 1DA., ☎ 01244 408000, [17]. New club with four bars in six distinct themed areas.  edit

Pubs