Bath

Bath: history & character

Bath, founded by the Romans in 60 CE as Aquae Sulis around Britain's only naturally hot thermal springs, became in the 18th century England's most fashionable spa town — a Georgian city rebuilt entirely in honey-coloured limestone from the neighbouring hills, UNESCO-listed since 1987. The 90,000 residents today share the city with international tourism (6 million visitors a year) and a strong British dog-walking tradition: pubs accept dogs by default, the Kennet & Avon canal towpath offers 140 km of car-free walks starting in town, and the 9.6 km Bath Skyline National Trust trail is one of the UK's most popular urban dog walks. The geography is compact (1.5 km across), which makes Bath perfectly walkable with a dog — from the Georgian Royal Crescent to the Roman Baths via the shop-lined Pulteney Bridge (one of only four bridges of its kind in the world). One practical note: the UK left the EU pet-passport scheme post-Brexit, so an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued within 10 days of travel is required for EU dogs, plus mandatory tapeworm treatment.