Things to do in Harrogate
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Royal Pump Room Museum
The ritual of visiting a spa town to 'take the waters' as a health cure became fashionable in the 19th century and peaked during the Edwardian era in the years before WWI. Charles Dickens visited Harrogate in 1858 and described it as 'the queerest place, with the strangest people in it, leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper-reading and dining'; sounds quite pleasant, really.
You can learn all about the history of Harrogate as a spa town in the ornate Royal Pump Room, built in 1842 over the most famous of the sulphur springs. It gives an insight into how the phenomenon shaped the town and records the illustrious visitors that it attracted; at the end you get the ch…
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Harrogate Turkish Baths
Plunge into Harrogate's past as you splash into the fabulously tiled Turkish Baths in the Royal Baths Assembly Rooms. The mock Moorish facility is gloriously Victorian and offers a range of watery delights - relax in a steam room or sizzle in a sauna. A visit should linger on for at least two hours, but call first as the opening hours are complicated.
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Mercer Art Gallery
Another surviving spa building, the Promenade Room, is now home to this ele- gant gallery, a stately space that hosts constantly changing exhibitions of visual arts.
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Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens
It's a huge green thumbs-up to Harrogate's gardeners - the Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens has some of the most beautiful flora you'll ever see. Indulge the flower-fanatic within and get yourself to this northern showpiece of the Royal Horticultural Society.
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Le D2
This bright and airy bistro is always busy, with diners drawn back again and again by the relaxed atmosphere, warm and friendly service, and a menu that takes fresh local produce and adds a twist of French sophistication.
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Royal Hall
A gorgeous Edwardian theatre that is now a part of the Harrogate International conference centre. The musical program covers orchestral and choral performances, piano recitals, jazz etc.
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Harrogate Theatre
An historic Victorian building that dates from 1900, staging variety, comedy, musicals and dancing.
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Van Zeller
New fine-dining restaurant from Michelin-trained Yorkshire chef Tom van Zeller. Lunch and pre-theatre menu: four courses for £20.
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Turkish Baths
If drinking the water isn't enough, you can immerse yourself in it at Harrogate's fabulously tiled Turkish Baths. This mock- Moorish facility is gloriously Victorian and offers a range of watery delights – hot rooms, steam rooms, plunge pools and so on; a visit should last around 1½ hours. There's a complicated schedule of opening hours that are by turns single-sex and mixed – call or check online for details.
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Tannin Level
Old terracotta floor tiles, polished mahogany tables and gilt-framed mirrors and paintings create a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere at this hugely popular neighbourhood bistro. A competitively priced menu based on seasonal local produce – think a shank of lamb with honey-roasted carrots, or fish pie with mustard mash and smoked-cheese crust – means that you'd best book a table or face being turned away.
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Sasso
A top-class basement trattoria where homemade pasta is served in a variety of traditional and authentic ways, along with a host of other Italian specialties.
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Montpellier Quarter
The most attractive part of town is the Montpellier Quarter, overlooking Prospect Gardens between Crescent Rd and Montpellier Hill. It's an area of pedestrianised streets lined with restored 19th-century buildings that are now home to art galleries, antique shops, fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants − an upmarket annex to the main shopping area around Oxford St and Cambridge St.
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Le Jardin
This cool little bistro has a snug, intimate atmosphere, especially in the evening when candlelight adds a romantic glow. During the day locals throng to the tables, enjoying great salads, sandwiches and homemade ice cream. A two-/three-course dinner is £9/13.
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Gardens
A huge green thumbs-up to Harrogate's gardeners; the town has some of the most beautiful public gardens in England. Flower fanatics should make for the Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens,the northern showpiece of the Royal Horticultural Society. The gardens are 1.5 miles southwest of town; take the B6162 Otley Rd, or walk through the Pine Woods southwest of the Valley Gardens.
Much closer to the town centre are the Valley Gardens, overlooked by the vast, glass-domed Sun Pavilion, built in 1933. The nearby bandstand houses concerts on Sunday afternoons from June to August.
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Fodder
Owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (there's a bigger branch at the Great Yorkshire Showground), this cafe serves fresh, healthy salads, sandwiches and lunch specials such as mung beans, chorizo and roast veg.
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Betty's
A classic tearoom in a classic location with views across the park, Betty's is a local institution. It was established in 1919 by a Swiss immigrant confectioner who took the wrong train, ended up in Yorkshire and decided to stay. Exquisite home-baked breads, scones and cakes, quality tea and coffee, and a downstairs gallery lined with art nouveau marquetry designs of Yorkshire scenes commissioned by the founder in the 1930s.
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