4 Best Sights in Harrogate, Yorkshire

Built in 1842 over the sulfur wells (which are Europe's strongest and still have a pungent odor) that made Harrogate a 19th-century wellness destination, the pump room in this octagonal structure sold 1,500 glasses of water to spa-goers in its heyday (so no, designer water is not a modern phenomenon). Today, it houses the town's museum, with displays of bygone spa-treatment paraphernalia alongside an eccentric collection of 19th-century clothes, fine china, and bicycles.

These 200 acres of grassy parkland wrapped around Harrogate's Old Town become a riot of color in spring. Many of the mineral springs that made the town famous bubble below.

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.

Southwest of the town center, these 17 acres of formal gardens include a children's boating lake, tennis courts, skate park, adventure playground, miniature golf course, paddling pool, zip lines, and a little café.