ONE of the UK’s oldest cities has been named a top destination to visit this year – and there are some exciting things happening in 2025.
Given city status back in the 12th century, Norwich is part of East Anglia which Lonely Planet named a top list of trending destinations.
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Described as the “enigmatic UK region”, East Anglia crept into the top 10 for being a “true taste of old England, combined with beautiful nature reserves […] lively coastal beach towns and picturesque inland waterways”.
The region includes counties like Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.
As the capital of Norfolk, Norwich is one of the top places to visit in the world in 2025.
The historic English city is home to Norwich Market, a huge outdoor market that’s set for a huge £740,000 revamp.
One of one of the oldest and largest open-air markets in the country, its renovation will include new shopping zones and Italian-style piazzas.
It’s not the only part of the city undergoing renovation, with a £1million redevelopment on the cards for the city centre.
The Hotel Nelson in Norwich, opposite the train station, is set to be demolished and rebuilt along with dozens of new homes and student accommodation
There will also be a commercial space for restaurants and cafes.
Last summer, Norwich Castle unveiled its £10m renovation.
The Grade I-listed keep underwent a huge rebuild with a new immersive experience being added to the site.
Visit Norfolk said: “The original medieval floors and room spaces are being reinstated and fully furnished, bringing alive the sights and sounds of this palace of the Norman kings as well as showcasing its influence and importance in twelfth-century England.”
A new permanent medieval gallery was created in partnership with the British Museum, becoming the first medieval gallery outside of London.
Artefacts range from the Norman Conquest to the reign of Henry VIII, with more than 1,000 historical objects on display.
The city will also become a haven for beer drinkers when Norwich Craft Beer Festival takes over the city in May.
The new festival will be held on May 3 and 4, with tickets to go on sale soon.
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Toby Westgarth, who owns Sir Toby’s Beers and is running the festival, told Eastern Daily Press: “This is something we have wanted to do for several years”.
Away from its most well-known sites, Norwich has plenty of other hidden gem attractions for holidaymakers to visit, including the Norwich Keyboard.
Located between Princes Street and Elm Hill, the unusual imprint, which resembles a computer keyboard, has been embedded in the ground for decades.
While some believe its a print plate from a monastery, it’s actually an imprint of an old Amstrad PC.
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According to Peter Leigh, the imprint was created in the 1990s by Molly Sole, a Norwich University student who used the mold of an old computer to create weird keyboard shapes.
Norwich also has its fair share of more sinister attractions, one of those is Fye Bridge where witch trials were said to be held in the 1600s.
While the current structure was built in the 1930s, the site of the bridge is where many women were accused of witchcraft.
The bridge is now thought to be haunted by some of those women who were tried there.
There are more friendly attractions in the English city, including the Bear Shop in Elm.
The shop is packed full of teddy bears from cuddly soft toys for kids to collector’s pieces.
Norwich is a one hour and 40 minute drive from Cambridge, and it’s a three-hour drive from London.
Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Best Cities 2025
- Toulouse, France
- Pondicherry, India
- Bansko, Bulgaria
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Genoa, Italy
- Pittsburgh, USA
- Osaka, Japan
- Curitiba, Brazil
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Edmonton, Canada
Meanwhile, travel writer Toni Jones lives in East Anglia; here are the best hidden gems.
And here’s a historic English city that’s been named the world’s best place to visit in 2025 by New York Times.
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