Known as ‘the city in the countryside’, Salisbury is surrounded by a landscape so quintessentially English it’s almost too good to be true.

If you pause on the edge of the water-meadows to take in the awesome sight of the Cathedral rising up from these lush green fields, it’s easy to understand why Salisbury was named as one of the world's Top 10 Cities to visit in 2015 by Lonely Planet. There is a wealth of things to do, events and places to stay to make the perfect visit. See our list of wonderful hotels and bed and breakfasts if you are planning on making the trip.

Within the Chapter House at Salisbury Cathedral you’ll find the best preserved of the four original Magna Carta manuscripts dating from 1215AD, celebrated within an exhibition which opened in early 2015 within the Cathedral's Chapter House.

What makes Salisbury special?

With timbered buildings, an Early English Gothic Cathedral home to the famous Magna Carta, a thriving market, a buzzing arts scene, museums and some of England’s finest historic houses there are many things for you waiting to be explored…

Within the Cathedral Close you’ll find Arundells, Mompesson House, The Rifles Military Museum and the award-winning Salisbury Museum with its Wessex Gallery.

Year-round events

There are plenty of events that take place in and around the city from the world-renowned Salisbury International Arts Festival through to the annual Christmas Market.

Arts venues include Salisbury Playhouse, the South West’s leading producing theatre, City Hall and Salisbury Arts Centre.

Shopping in Salisbury

Salisbury is great for shopping. Its historic streets are home to all your favourite stores, as well as independent retailers offering unusual items you won’t find on every high street.

On Tuesdays and Saturdays (except the third Tuesday in October) the hustle and bustle of the historic Charter Market fills the Market Place and a whole array of other interesting markets take place throughout the year.

Salisbury food and drink

Eating out in Salisbury is a pleasure thanks to an enticing range of tea and coffee shops, pubs and restaurants, clubs and bars, with plenty on offer throughout the day and on into the early hours.

As a result of this and the great array of events on offer, Salisbury has been awarded Purple Flag status – the ‘gold standard’ for a great night out.

Download our Visit Salisbury app for FREE

Download our new Salisbury app which features the top reasons to visit, interactive mapping, special offers, news and more.

The app can be downloaded for iPhone here, Android here.