The walled city of York stands where the rivers Ouse and Foss meet. Founded in 71AD by the Romans who called it Eboracum, the city was later captured by the Viking warlord Ivan the Boneless, who renamed it 'Jorvik'.
Today, the North Yorkshire city boasts a splendid Minster, a Castle and a host of attractions including the National Railway Museum and the Jorvik Viking Centre, complete with historical smells. A network of narrow, cobbled medieval streets known as 'The Shambles' lends York much character.
York lies on the East Coast mainline and is just 2 hours from London by train. The M1 is 10 miles from the city centre and the M62 around 20 miles. Four international airports are a short drive away. York's park-and-ride bus service helps cut traffic to the city centre, where big-name stores jostle with chic boutiques, bars and cafés. Around 200,000 people live in York, over 15,000 of them students attending its world-class University.