Harrogate is a health resort based on ferruginous and sulfuric mineral waters. There is an extensive spa park and many buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, when the resort was booming.
Until the 17th century, Harrogate was a small settlement without even a parish. The situation changed with the discovery of the first mineral springs at the end of the 16th century. In the next century, several shots were taken and the first bathing facilities and pump rooms began to be built. The real heyday of Harrogate took place in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Most of the neoclassical buildings that have survived to this day come from this period.
The health resort was built around the Valley Gardens park, where the first water intakes were located. A popular attraction is the historic water intake, the Royal Pump Room, which obtained one of the strongest sulfur waters in Europe. Today there is a spa museum here, presenting the old water installations and the development of the resort.
Harrogate is known for its green spaces. The RHS Garden Harlow is also located here. In turn, the vicinity of the spa is a perfect place for long walks and hikes. Plumpton Rocks park with its lake and picturesque rock outcrops is very popular. Harrogate Nidderdale Nature Park is the perfect place for longer trips.
