Cheltenham is a wonderful Regency Spa town full of delightful architecture and wonderful gardens, surrounded by hills. There a wide range of attractions to visit whenever you are staying in Cheltenham and listed here are my personal top 10 favourites.
Cheltenham Festivals
Cheltenham has a great number of different festivals at different times through the year. There is a jazz festival in May, Music festival in July, Literature festival in October and Science festival in June. These are all worth a visit for anyone who is interested in what is going on. The council run a great festivals website where you can find out what is happening and book tickets. There are usually some free events going on around the town you can go to many in walking distance from the many hotels in Cheltenham.
Cheltenham Racecourse
The racecourse is the location of the Gold Cup which is hosted in March every year. However there are also racing events throughout the year that you can come and visit. You will find lovely bars restaurants on site and you need never leave the comfort of inside if you don’t want to when you are watching the races. Additionally there is a Hall of Fame where you can see previous winners.
Imperial Gardens
Imperial Gardens has a lovely display of flowers and a fountain which makes it a wonderful place to relax. On the edge of it there is a bar which is open on summer nights, so you can enjoy a drink in the centre of the town while experiencing the lovely flower gardens.
Montpellier Park
Montpellier Park has flower gardens too but also large areas of grass where children can play ball games. In addition there are tennis courts you can hire and a children’s play area, so its a great spot for families to relax, or to have a picnic in the middle of your shopping trip. The Montpellier area of Cheltenham is the popular upmarket area where many of the top quality Cheltenham hotels are located.
Shopping in Cheltenham
Cheltenham has a large range of shopping facilities. There are two shopping centres which, along with the high street, contain a lot of the big named chain stores. In addition there are side streets with little independent shops where you could get interesting objects and great service. In the promenade you can find a large range of more exclusive shops catering for the higher end of the market. But if you are after a bargain, the lower high street contains cheaper shops both chain stores and several independent ones.
Architecture
There are some lovely regency town houses in Cheltenham that happen to be well worth looking at. With their lovely ironwork balconies and the painted stucco facades they make the Promenade a lovely place to walk down. There are also lovely buildings scattered around the town from all periods so if you are interested in architecture there are plenty of places that will be great to visit.
Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum
If you wish to learn more about the history of the town then this is the place to visit. The art gallery contains a mixture of modern and older paintings and the museum has a great range of artefacts and a lovely shop.
Cleeve Hill
Cleve Hill is an excellent place to walk. If you prefer to do something when you are walking there’s even a golf course on the top to keep you busy.
Gloucester
The nearby city of Gloucester has 2 attractions worth visiting, both the cathedral with all its great history and the docks with old warehouses and boats, and a lovely shopping centre can be brilliant places to visit.
Restuarants
There is a great range of lovely restaurants in Cheltenham, the best of which is the Napier Restaurant in the Queen’s Hotel Cheltenham on the Promenade. It has AA rosette status and uses seasonal produce to create traditional and contemporary British cuisine.