Chester is located just under an hour away from Manchester (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express )
A small city hidden in the north of England has earned the incredible reputation of being the prettiest in the world—even more beautiful than Venice or Barcelona. Home to a university, rich history, a famous clock and a beautiful river, the city also boasts quaint streets constantly filled with people.
Even a drizzle of rain can’t keep visitors away – and yet it’s still a massively underrated UK spot. Located just under an hour away from Manchester, Chester is home to a thriving community and beautifully clean streets.
Its picturesque historic buildings are complemented by shiny new ones – the blend of old and new has been welcomed by residents who are happy to see the city’s heritage retained. And Chester seems so perfect that it’s consistently awarded prestigious titles.
It was named “the world’s prettiest city” and better than Venice in 2024, before being called one of the “world’s most welcoming” city this year by Booking.com.
Jason Shepley works at Chester Market (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express)
Jason Shepley has lived in the city for 25 years. He says he has seen a lot of change, but the city has stayed true to its roots.
Through the bustle of Chester Market, the 36-year-old duty officer said: “I agree to a strong extent that Chester is one of the best cities in the UK or the world. With the history and the architecture, it has a huge tourist factor.
Locals enjoy the blend of old and new in the city (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express)
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“You can see by the huge amount of people that we have – coachloads of tourists visiting. It is a beautiful city, nothing has been tarnished.
“I think any improvements that needed to be made to the city have been made. We’ve got more cafes, bars, restaurants and shopping centres. Chester is doing the right thing.”
Jason says Chester is “underrated” as a tourist destination due to being a smaller city. However, a great aspect of the city, he says, is that thanks to the University of Chester, located just north of the city centre, there is a large student demographic and there’s plenty for students to do there – but it also caters for older residents.
He adds: “I like how we are modernising, and even though we’re an old city – we’ve got a great blend of both.”
Walking around the bustling market, Jason tells us there’s one man we can’t miss out on speaking to. Geoff Hughes, 64, is a bespoke butcher who has been working at the market since 1975, when he began a Saturday job as a young boy.
Geoff and Debbie met while working at Chester Market and have been married for 42 years (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express)
Geoff even met his wife, Debbie Hughes, 62, in the old market itself. Debbie began working opposite his stall, and now they have been married for 42 years and have two children together.
Born and bred in the city, he said Chester is “obviously” the best city in the world.
“We’ve got the Roman walls, we have the river front, we have the Eastgate clock, we’ve got a lot of things people come to see,” he said.
“It’s fantastic what they’ve done with the city. We’ve got a great community here. There are a lot of people who support the city and make it what it is. That’s why we get a good reputation.”
At the stall next door, a fishmonger, Stephen Cartidge, 62, says: “We have a lot of people who come from London and a lot of them say it’s nicer and friendlier here.”
Stephen drives from Fleetwood, a four-hour round-trip every day, to sell fish at the market, and he has done so for 35 years. He says: “I love Chester. It’s a lovely city. It’s very compact, so you can get everywhere pretty quickly.”
Stephen makes a four-hour round trip every day to get to work in Chester (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express)
Wendy and Richard say the city is “trendy and safe” (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express)
Even with a slight chill in the air on a grey Wednesday morning, people didn’t seem put off popping into the city for a coffee, some lunch, or a bit of shopping.
Sitting on a bench with her husband, Wendy Arthure, 52, says: “It’s a very pretty city. We’ve been here for eight years now and we live 10 minutes away so we’re here all the time – it’s also a very trendy city.
Her husband, Richard Arthure, 64, adds: “It’s very safe too – you don’t hear of much crime around here.”
Local councillors say the city is worth fighting for (Image: Rowan Griffiths / Express)
Over summer and around Christmas, it can get busy with visitors. Councillor Katrina Kerr said: “There definitely is something in the air – it’s got a great reputation here.
“The more popular you are, the more pressure there is on services. That’s the price of fame for the city. The more successful the city is, the more it has to step up and make sure that everybody has a good experience and that is always the case.”
Councillor Kerr says Chester is similar to Brugge in Belgium. In Brugge, visitors pay a tourist tax and, which she would like to see implemented in Chester to help keep the city clean and in good shape.
She adds: “The city has come a long way since the Covid-19 pandemic, I think people really woke up after that and thought: ‘Actually, it’s pretty good here,’ and then they started really investing in themselves.”
Councillor Ben Walker adds: “I think when you live in the area, you take it for granted. Sometimes, on the everyday, you don’t realise how wonderful this city is.
“The important thing is, is there life in this city? And yes there is. This city is worth fighting for, loving and promoting every step of the way.”
