York Minster & Medieval York

York is one of England's finest historic cities, its medieval core enclosed within 3.4 miles of Roman and medieval walls that visitors can walk in their entirety. York Minster — formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York — is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, its nave 61 metres wide, its height 60 metres, and its interior containing more than half of all medieval stained glass surviving in England. Construction began in 1220 and took 250 years; the Great East Window (1405–1408) is the world's largest expanse of medieval stained glass. Visitors can climb the Central Tower (275 steps) for panoramic views over the city and surrounding countryside. Beneath the Minster, the Undercroft museum reveals Roman columns, Viking finds, and the medieval foundations uncovered during 1960s engineering work to save the central tower from collapse. The Shambles, a narrow medieval street where the upper storeys of timber-framed buildings overhang so closely they nearly touch, is the most complete medieval street surviving in any English city. The Jorvik Viking Centre in Coppergate provides an immersive reconstruction of 10th-century Viking York based on artefacts from the landmark 1976–1981 excavation. The York Castle Museum on the site of the old city prison houses room-set recreations of Victorian and Edwardian street life. Walking the city walls from Micklegate Bar to Monk Bar takes approximately one hour and is free. The National Railway Museum, a 10-minute walk from the station, adds a half-day of world-class free exhibits.