About Harrogate
Harrogate is the go-to destination for relaxation and indulgence, synonymous with quality shopping and afternoon tea. The definitive boutique spa town in the heart of Yorkshire.
Harrogate is known for its floral excellence, evident in the magnificent displays across the town and in its well-kept parks and gardens. The largest of these is the Grade II listed Valley Gardens, which features several distinctive areas and receives 3 million visitors a year. Possibly the most distinctive feature of Harrogate is its vast open space that surrounds the town centre, known locally as the Stray, at 200 acres this gives Harrogate town centre a green and spacious feel unique to the town.
Harrogate has always attracted the discerning shopper and this is never truer than at present. Take pleasure in browsing independent shops whose collections have been curated to provide something a little bit different. Several of the main shopping streets radiate from the town’s open floral space and provide a thriving home to numerous boutiques, jewellers, booksellers, shoe shops, bakeries, chocolatiers and a department store.
Born through a boom in Spa tourism during the Victorian 1800s Harrogate quickly developed a reputation for luxurious getaways for body and soul. The high society of the Victorian Britain flocked to Harrogate to enjoy the air, the space and the therapeutic spa treatments as well as taking the famous Harrogate waters. The iconic 19th century Pump Room is now home to a fascinating museum of the town’s fashionable Spa history, together with the nearby the Mercer Gallery which has an important collection of artwork spanning the centuries right up to present day offer fascinating insights into the town’s history. The stunning Victorian Royal Baths, a grade II listed building is home to the internationally famous Turkish Baths and Spa with its extraordinary Moorish interiors and offer a program of treatments and therapies.
You can enjoy a slower pace of exploration as you browse the delightful cobbled Montpellier Quarter housing art galleries, antique and vintage shops, jewellers, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and bars – such is the range of things to do in Harrogate.
Find out more about things to do in Harrogate here.