Discover Chester: City History, Walks and Zoo

Chester combines an impressive history with walking routes and an expansive zoo. Anyone planning a trip can put together very different kinds of days here: discover historic buildings and distinctive urban structures, explore the City Walls or plan a visit to Chester Zoo as a separate highlight. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Chester, it is therefore worth organising your preferred experiences early on.

Experience Chester on foot and discover its history

The Chester City Walls are around two miles long. They are free to walk and open all year round. This provides a clearly defined way to explore Chester from a special perspective.

Another option is the Chester City Centre 6km Circular Walk. It starts at the Visitor Information Centre and follows the Shropshire Union Canal and the River Dee, passes through Grosvenor Park and goes around the racecourse. The circular route has a different focus from the historic walls: here, the route through various parts of the city and the combination of water, park and racecourse take centre stage. Those who enjoy being active can choose between these two different walking options.

Roman amphitheatre and the distinctive Rows

Chester’s Roman amphitheatre was the largest in Britain. It is open daily throughout the year in daylight hours, so it can be included in your travel plans if Roman history is one of your interests.

The Chester Rows are another particularly distinctive feature. Chester is unique in Britain because of this structure: at street level, shops are located in basements, with further shops above at Row level and homes above them. The covered galleries on the first floor date from the Middle Ages and have been part of Chester’s history for more than 800 years. The Rows are therefore not merely a historical term, but a specific form of urban development that can be observed while walking through Chester.

Wildlife, gardens and play areas at Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo adds a distinctly different type of experience to the travel programme. Visitors can discover more than 500 animal species and explore more than 130 acres. The zoo also has five different play areas. For families, this part of the programme may be especially appealing if wildlife viewing, outdoor activity and play opportunities are among their preferred holiday experiences.

The award-winning gardens at Chester Zoo are also part of what is available on site. They showcase plants that play an important role in supporting native wildlife. This means that a visit to the zoo can be viewed not only in terms of its animal species, but also through the design of the gardens and their connection with native wildlife.

Choose the right accommodation for your own travel plans

Your choice of holiday apartment in Chester can be guided by your personal priorities. If you mainly want to discover the city’s history, the City Walls, amphitheatre and Rows take centre stage. Those who prefer a longer walk can consider the 6km Circular Walk. Chester Zoo, in turn, offers its own focus with animal species, extensive grounds, gardens and play areas.

For further travel planning, you can also visit the following places: Lower Whitley, Macclesfield, Waverton, Wilmslow, Haslington, Tarporley, Mobberley and Congleton.

To the overarching travel overview: Cheshire.