As you'll soon see in York, the city is a jumble of architectural styles.

You may arrive at the grand Victorian Station, exiting the building opposite imposing medieval Walls.

You'll find lots of narrow streets and houses from the middle ages in the core of the city (such as Stonegate, Shambles).

But you will also see imposing 18th century buildings like the Assembly Rooms or the Georgian Fairfax House.

Present-day York is very protective of its architectural heritage. (Though there are a few modern additions which may seem surprising to the visitor.) As recently as Victorian times, however, the city pulled down part of the wall to improve traffic flow, and a few decades back, the city only narrowly avoided major alterations to make it more car-friendly.

TIP You'll find a grouping of buildings by historic era in the History section.