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England’s best-known and most popular national park is a postcard landscape of shimmering lakes, craggy hilltops and ancient forests that has enchanted poets and painters since the late 18th century, when the Romantics first had their imaginations stirred by the panoramas that have remained unchanged to this day.
And what panoramas they are. There’s the classic Lakeland setting of Windermere, England’s largest lake and the primary destination for millions of tourists since the railroad was first built in the middle of the 19th century. On it is busy Bowness and the charming villages of Grasmere and Hawkshead, surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountains.
The north lakes – Ullswater, Bassenthwaite, Derwentwater, Loweswater – are quieter and wilder, in the shadow of the rugged Skiddaw range and with handsome Keswick at the heart of it. The lush Borrowdale Valley leads to the dramatic Honister mountain pass and into the natural lakes of Buttermere & Crummock.
Adventure seekers go west, to the higher ground of Great Langdale and the region’s major summits of Bowfell, Crinkle Crags and the biggest mountain of all, Scafell Pike.
The Lake District is an outdoor activities paradise, but its literary connections draw as many visitors as its walks do. William Wordsworth lived virtually all of his life here, drawing inspiration from the surrounding countryside to write some of the English language’s most enduring poetry. The landscape also proved a creative spark for the likes of Sameul Taylor Coleridge, Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter – who dedicated much of her life to protecting the Lake District’s beauty and heritage.
In all its beauty and diversity the Lake District remains as it has been for millennia, which is one of the reasons why in 2017 the national park was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site – its river valleys, lakes and mountains home to an unique hill-farming culture and ancient heritage that has been carefully preserved. Here in the Lake District we know how to take good care of you; we’ve had plenty of practice.

Explore
Busy Weekly Market with 80 stalls. Food, Crafts and Gifts.
The Buttermere Swimble – The Buttermere Valley is surely one of the most beautiful in the Lake…
Discover the art of craft distilling in the Gateway to the Lake District, with a guided tour of…
May arrives in fullness. Light lingers. Gardens lean toward abundance. In a season that urges us to…
Woodland Reset ~ The Conscious Self's Signature Nature Day Come and join The Conscious Self for a…
Discover the history of the Wray estate on a 45‑minute Walk & Talk led by a knowledgeable member of…
Guess who's back… and treating you with kindness. ✨ Our Summer Spa-rtys are returning — and on…
Join us in the Learning Centre this May half term for free, hands-on activities designed to spark…
Looking for things to do this May half term in the Lake District? Escape the ordinary and head to…
Useful/Beautiful marks 25 years of contemporary craft at Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house,…
*WORLD PREMIERE From Tom MacRae, the writer of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, comes a brand-new…
This is a high quality workshop where participants will be taught how to create a small stone…
young farmers competition/ rally day
Calling all local talent – and local music lovers! Join us for Muncaster Castle's monthly Open Mic…
Wild Sauna & Forest Plunge | Whinlatter Forest Step into the wild beauty of the Lake District and…
Recce run for the 2026 Lakeland 50 & 100 from Pooley Bridge to Ambleside. This run is only open for…
Join us for Wild Swim Club! Experience the incredible benefits of this exhilarating activity as our…
Chillswim Coniston End to End Swim 2026 will take place on Saturday 20th June. Long distance…
Join our experienced, knowledgeable ranger as they lead you around our amazing forest and show you…
The Arc'teryx Climb Academy Lake District returns May 23 – 25, 2026. The Arc'teryx Climb Academy…
The Buttermere Swim Hike takes an exciting approach to wild swimming by combining one of our…
HAWKSHEAD PARISH CHURCH MUSIC FOR A SUMMER EVENING 2026 All concerts start at 7.30 pm Tues. 2nd…
Epic Lakes Swim Coniston takes place at Monk Coniston, at the North end of the lake. You can choose…
A trail running weekend with two unique races.


The Lake District Where modern tourism was born
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Newby Bridge
We developed our bespoke canoe sailing boats to make an easily accessible boat for people with mobility difficulties - but everyone loves them. Fast light and you are a solo sailor from the very start. If you want a friend or carer in the boat to…
Grange-over-Sands
Greaves Farm Caravan Park is family run park in beautiful countryside on the fringe of the Lake District within easy reach of Lake Windermere, the historic village of Cartmel and Grange over Sands and many places of interest. An ideal location for…
Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands
Home of The Black Horses Friesian Experience, farm location with stunning views over South Lakeland village of Cartmel - foodie heaven! Known for Horse Racing, Michelin Star restaurants and its famous Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Ambleside
Swim the Lakes are the Lakes District's Open Water Swimming Specialists. Our friendly team provides inspirational adventure swimming for all abilities, from Short Wild Swims to 3-day Swim Breaks. Plus excellent swim gear in our Ambleside store.
Hawkshead, Lake Windermere
Nestled in the heart of Graythwaite Estate, 5,000 acres of managed woodland, parkland and lake frontage, is our magical bushcraft base where we love to welcome those seeking a real outdoor experience.
Keswick
The Lake District is known for being the home of Rock Climbing, so why not try your hand at this extreme sport! Conquer a fear and get up close and personal with some of the incredible local landscape all whilst under the watchful eye of our…
Ravenglass
Standing proudly in the center of the village of Ravenglass the Pennington Hotel has 22 well appointed and relaxing bedrooms, with quality bathrooms, smart TV’s, and comfy beds, all areas offer high speed internet which has been complete upscaled…
Keswick
Discover Lyzzick, our four-star independent hotel in the heart of the Lake District hills.
Windermere
Merewood Country House Hotel is the quintessential, English country house hotel. Located on the side of a hill overlooking Windermere, Merewood boasts stunning views of the Lake District fells and beyond.
Merewood dates back to 1812 and with…
Ambleside
There is no better way to refuel after a long day exploring than with a hearty, home-cooked meal. The Waterhead Inn offers just that! With delicious Cumbrian classics as well as exciting culinary twists served all day every day, there is something…
Hawkshead
In the heart of Hawkshead, the King’s Arms offers a warm welcome and a real taste of the Lake District. The menu celebrates local produce, featuring hearty pub favourites and creative seasonal specials made with ingredients from nearby farms. Enjoy…
Borrowdale, Keswick
Adrenaline filled adventure inside the belly of a Lake District mountain, ‘Climb the Mine’ is the only one of its type in England.
Grange-over-Sands
Unique, therapeutic & life-changing experiences for all animal lovers with the famous Black Horses of Cartmel.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Lindeth Howe’s restaurant is as popular with residents of nearby Bowness-on-Windermere, as it is with visitors to the Lake District, and our hotel guests, who come to enjoy the activities & delights of Lake Windermere.
Cumbria
If you fancy staying somewhere different and fancy the thought of staying in a fabulously restored luxury Pullman railway coach, then this is for you.
Cockermouth
The romantic ambience and art-deco features of the stunning train carriages make this a truly unique experience that is not to be missed by locomotive lovers, film enthusiasts and foodies alike! Breakfasts, lunches and afternoon teas are catered for…
Ullswater
Spacious, comfortable, warm and well-equipped, Broad How is a charming, large Lakeland house, sleeping 14, ideally sited in an acre of grounds, 0.5 mile from village of Patterdale, pub and shop. Restaurants, steamer and boat hire 1.5 miles.
Windermere
Our modern hard standing touring caravan and motorhome pitches have been tastefully landscaped into our surrounding countryside and have lovely views of Moor How and the surrounding fells.
Newby Bridge
Paddle Windermere to a remote shore, light fire and cook on open fire. We are an inclusive company and welcome people of all abilities.
Lakeside
A spectacularly located site on the quieter western shores of Windermere, England’s largest lake and with stunning views our Lakeside site has it all in spades. Each of our yurts here have stunning lake views and are a hop, skip and a splosh away…
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Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL