A Half-Day City Walk in York: A Real-Life Harry Potter Magical World

I traveled from Cambridge to York, only allocating half a day for York. As someone who isn't a Harry Potter fan, I didn't feel like York had much to offer me. Fortunately, the city isn't too big, making a half-day city walk quite suitable. Below is my city walk route, perfect for experiencing York's charm in a short time. If you're a Harry Potter fan, this route is also a classic: York City Walls → York Minster → The Shambles → Clifford's Tower ⭐Highlights ✅York City Walls: Not far from the hotel, you can see the city walls surrounding York's old town. They are said to be about 3.4 km long. Due to time constraints, we only walked a small section. According to the introduction, the York City Walls were built by the ancient Romans and are the best-preserved and longest medieval city walls in England. They are centered around York Minster and form a square. However, I personally feel that most of it has been restored. ✅York Minster: This is the largest existing medieval Gothic cathedral in Europe and York's most noteworthy ancient building. The cathedral's construction began in 627 AD, and what we see today was rebuilt in 1470. The cathedral's interior hall served as the filming location for the Great Hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. The large expanse of stained glass on the southeast side is said to be the largest medieval stained-glass window in the world. We didn't climb to the top because it was getting late, which was a bit of a pity. ✅The Shambles: This is probably York's most famous spot, as it's the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. It's also the most complete medieval street preserved in England to date. The street is lined with ancient wooden-framed buildings, all built very low, only one or two stories high. This is said to be a measure to prevent the spread of fire during medieval times. It might be better to visit at night. We went during the day and it felt a bit ordinary, and there were many people taking photos. Also, "The Little Devil" is a very popular souvenir here. ✅Clifford's Tower: A landmark building in York, it's one of the few remaining ruins of York Castle, located opposite the York Castle Museum. From the tower, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of York. Clifford's Tower itself is not large, but according to the introduction, it was once a royal mint and even the site of one of the worst antisemitic massacres in the Middle Ages, which is hard to imagine. Personally, I feel that apart from the Minster, York's attractions are a bit underwhelming, but the city walk through these medieval streets is quite enjoyable. 📖Practical Information 🚗Transportation: York is not big. Starting from hotels in York city center, walking is sufficient. Walking plus sightseeing takes 2–3 hrs. 🎫Tickets: York Minster £18, climbing to the top £5, Clifford's Tower £9 (I personally don't think it's worth going inside).