Sights in Leicester
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The National Space Centre
The National Space Centre is a spectacular and successful attempt to bring space science to us ordinary mortals. Interactive displays cover cosmic myths, the history of astronomy and the development of space travel; in the Space Now! area you can check on the status of all current space missions.
Films in the domed Space Theatre (included in the admission price) launch you to the far reaches of the galaxy, and you can come back to earth with a coffee in Boosters Café. Don't miss the displays on zero-gravity toilets and the amazing germ-devouring underpants. The centre is off the A6 about 1.5 miles north of the city centre. Take bus No 54 from Charles St in the centre.
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Jewry Wall Museum
You can see fine Roman mosaics and frescoes in this museum exploring the history of Leicester from Roman times to the modern day. In front of the museum is the Jewry Wall, part of Leicester's Roman baths. Tiles and masonry from the baths were incorporated in the walls of neighbouring St Nicholas' Church.
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Golden Mile
A showcase of Leicester's teeming diversity, the Golden Mile is a vibrant Asian quarter. Located a mile to the north of the centre, it is renowned for its restaurants - visitors often make a special trip to fill up on specialist Indian and vegetarian food. Apart from other Asian restaurants, there are also clothing and jewellery shops in the area.
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Jain Centre
Materials were shipped in from India to convert a disused church into a Jain Centre. The building is faced with marble, and the temple - the first Jain temple outside the subcontinent and the only one in Europe - boasts a forest of beautifully carved pillars inside. Jainism evolved in India at around the same time as Buddhism.
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Newarke Houses Museum
Sprawling over two 16th-century mansions, this entertaining museum has exhibits detailing the lifestyles of local people through the centuries. Don't miss the displays on Daniel Lambert, the walk-through re-creation of a WWI trench, and the trophies of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, including an outrageous snuff box made from a tiger's head.
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New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery is a child-friendly series of displays on space, materials and art. Adults should get something from the surprisingly varied exhibits too, which range from a Siberian mammoth-ivory paperknife to a life-size portrait of local rugby legend Martin Johnson.
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Guildhall
Leicester's perfectly preserved 14th-century guildhall is reputed to be the most haunted building in Leicester. You can search for spooks in the magnificent Great Hall, the wood-panelled 'Mayor's Parlour' and the old police cells, which contain a reconstruction of a 19th-century gibbet.
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Guru Nanak Gurdwara
Close to the Jewry Wall is the Sikh Guru Nanak Gurdwara. There is a small museum, which contains an impressive model of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, and a Sikh/Panjabi heritage exhibition.
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St Mary de Castro
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Leicester's Museums
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Great Hall
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Temples
Leicester's Indian citizens have constructed dozens of mosques and temples, including several right in the centre.
Housed in a converted church, the Jain Centre caters to followers of an ancient religion that rose in India at the same time as Buddhism. Fronted with gleaming white marble, the lavish interior recalls the ancient sandstone temples at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Remove your shoes before entering.
Although outwardly plain, the Guru Nanak Gurdwara contains an engaging museum dedicated to Sikh culture and history, with an impressive model of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
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New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Southeast of the centre on pedestrian New Walk, this grand Victorian museum is full of eye-catching, thought-provoking displays that show off the collection to its best advantage. Highlights include the revamped dinosaur galleries, the painting collection (with works by Francis Bacon, TS Lowry and Stanley Spencer), and the Egyptian gallery, where real mummies rub shoulders with displays on Boris Karloff's The Mummy.
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National Space Centre
Before you get too excited, British space missions usually launch from French Guyana or Kazakhstan, but Leicester's space museum is still a fascinating introduction to the mysteries of the spheres. The ill-fated Beagle 2 mission to Mars was controlled from here and fun, kiddie-friendly displays cover everything from astronomy to the status of current space missions. The centre is off the A6 about 1.5 miles north of the city centre. Take bus 54 from Charles St in the centre.
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Leicester Cathedral
In the midst of the shopping district on Guildhall Lane, this substantial medieval church features some striking carvings on its roof supports. Inside, you can see a memorial to Richard III, who rode out from Leicester to fatal defeat at the Battle of Bosworth.
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Leicester Castle
Dotted around the Newarke Houses Museum are the scattered ruins of Leicester's medieval castle, where Richard III spent his final days before the Battle of Bosworth. The most impressive chunk of masonry is the monumental gateway known as the Magazine, once a storehouse for cannonballs and gunpowder. Clad in Georgian brickwork, the 12th-century Great Hall, stands behind a 15th-century gate near the church of St Mary de Castro, where Geoffrey Chaucer was married in 1336. The hall is open for tours on the first Saturday of the month – contact the tourist office for details.
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