Located 97 miles west of London in the ceremonial county of Somerset, the City of Bath has held special status since the time of the Roman occupation of Britain when the city was known as Aquae Sulis. The name means "the waters of Sulis" and was so designated by the Romans for the natural mineral hot springs that to this day draw visitors to its healing spas.

It was in the 18th to early 19th century that the city acquired the Georgian style of architecture for which Central Bath is most noted. Among its magnificently preserved buildings are its residential crescents, the most prominent of which is the Royal Crescent, an arc of attached town houses constructed in 1767. A second arc of splendid residential homes is Lansdown Crescent.

Granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590 and a World Heritage Site since 1987, Bath has long been a focal point of literature and the arts in Britain. At one time or another it has been home to such prominent individuals as Jane Austen, 18th century novelist and art collector William Beckford, famed portraitist Thomas Gainsborough and for a time home to exiled Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.

At this time of year, Bath also is noted for its Christmas market. Situated by the city's famed Bath Abbey and its ancient Roman Baths, more than 120 stalls showcase hand crafted gifts and holiday foods.