St Albans Tourist Information & Travel Guide

St Albans is located in the south of Hertfordshire and was historically a rural market town.  During the First World War the city was known for its electronics industry however, following the Second World War, the city became larger to cater to people originally living in London who had to be redistributed.

St Albans is also often seen as a pilgrimage destination due to its historical foundations.  A place that is definitely worth a visit is St Albans Cathedral, a beautiful building with magnificent landscapes.  It stands 275 ft tall and is notorious for its long nave that is in fact the longest of any cathedral in the country.  Its architecture is representative of the Norman era and falls within the top 3 largest cathedrals in all of Britain.

Another building that you may wish to visit is the Abbey Gateway which was originally a prison. Dating back from 1365, it is the only building that persevered to present day from the original construction of the Abbey of St Albans.  From 1868 onwards, it has become apart of St Albans School and therefore currently remains in operation.

For a historic overview of the city, visitors can explore Verulamium Museum that looks closely at everyday life in Roman Britain.  Here you can access recreated roman rooms, databases of all research and findings from the past, hands on experience at the discovery area and video presentations.  Also illustrated in the museum are extraordinary roman mosaics.  Every fortnight, Roman Soldiers show up at the museum and rein act the Roman Imperial Army procedures, creating a lively atmosphere for tourists.

To accompany Verulamium Museum is a nature park.  At Verulamium Park you can expect to see marvellous lake views and picturesque landscapes.  The park occupies 100 acres of parkland and attractions many visitors all year round.  The ornamental lake is the dominant feature that steals the limelight and showcases a wide variety of water birds.  Seasonal events also take place here such as annual firework displays which occur every November.

For shopping you can visit Maltings Shopping Centre.  Sitting on 250,000 square ft, Maltings Shopping Centre houses an array of popular retail stores including TK Maxx, Wilkinson, H&M and many more exciting high street brands.  In addition to this, there are cafes and restaurants so you can take a break and relax from shopping.  It is located in the heart of the city, attracting over 7 million visitors per year and has its own car park that holds the capacity of 734 vehicles.

If you would like to take a guided walk of the city then the best place to start is The Old Town Hall where all Guided City Walks begin.  They usually take up to an hour and a half to complete however, it may be wise to book tickets in advance from either the guide or from the Tourist Information Centre.  There are various different locations to stroll by which include Historic St Albans, Pubs & Chapels, Crime & Punishment and more, so the choice is yours.