2 Best Sights in England

One of the few places in Britain where you can bathe in natural hot-spring water, and in an open-air rooftop location as well, this striking complex designed by Nicholas Grimshaw consists of a Bath-stone building surrounded by a glass curtain wall. The only difficulty is in deciding where to spend more time during your two-hour spa session—in the sleekly luxurious, light-filled Minerva Bath, with its curves and gentle currents, or in the smaller, open-air rooftop pool for the unique sensation of bathing with views of Bath's operatic skyline (twilight is particularly atmospheric here). Two 18th-century thermal baths, the Cross Bath and the Hot Bath, are in use, too (the latter for spa treatments only). End your session in the third-floor café and restaurant.

It's essential to book spa treatments ahead of time (additional fee; 50-minute massage from £125, for example). Towels, robes, and slippers are available for rent. Note that changing rooms are gender-neutral. Weekdays are the quietest time to visit. You must be 16 to bathe here and 18 to book a spa treatment.

Dating from 1897 but fully restored, these Moorish-inspired baths have beautiful glazed brickwork, vaulted painted ceilings, and elaborately-tiled floors that look virtually the same as they would have to their fashionable Victorian clientele. After changing into your bathing suit, relax on luxurious lounge chairs in the stunning mosaic-tile warming room. Move on to the increasingly hot sauna rooms, and then soak up eucalyptus mist in the steam room before braving the icy plunge pool. You can also book a massage or facial. Open hours are divided into single-sex and mixed sessions, so book in advance. Guided tours are given Wednesday at 8:30 am.