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Natural environment at Welney Wetland Centre
_Plan your stay in Norfolk
Explore huge, natural landscapes, a National Park and varied wild coast
Plan your stay in Norfolk with recommendations for places to visit, places to stay and things to do.
Why do people visit Norfolk?
People visit Norfolk because of its varied coast and landscapes, its rich heritage and history, picturesque market towns and villages, the unique Broads National Park, seaside resorts of Great Yarmouth, Cromer and Hunstanton, and the vibrant, modern city of Norwich that has a cherished medieval heritage.
You’ll soon notice the slower pace of life and the enormous landscapes and skies.
Relaxing in the Broads National Park
Where is Norfolk in England?
Norfolk is the northern county of East Anglia in the East of England, the bit that juts out into the North Sea.
Is it easy to get to Norfolk?
It’s very easy to get to Norfolk – by rail from London in as little as 90 minutes and by road from across the country. Norwich International Airport brings in multiple daily flights from Schiphol, Amsterdam.
Paths and trails across the Broads are accessibility-friendly
Is Norfolk a good place for a holiday?
Norfolk is a great place for a holiday, short break or long weekend at any time of the year with a range of different destinations, things to do and places to stay to suit all pockets.
The dunes at Winterton-on-Sea are worth a visit year-round
What is the best time to visit Norfolk?
Norfolk enjoys one of the best overall climates in the British Isles so the county can be enjoyed year-round. The best time for wildlife watching is in the winter, but otherwise walking and cycling is great at any time, stately homes, museums and attractions are open twelve months of the year.
Cromer seafront
What is Norfolk famous for?
90 miles of fabulous coastline including superb sandy beaches, the Broads National Park, Cromer pier and Cromer crab, Royal Sandringham House, stately homes and estates such as Holkham, the seals at Blakeney, Norman castle and cathedral at Norwich to name just a few things.
Norfolk icons Iceni Queen Boudicca, naval hero Horatio Nelson and nurse Edith Cavell all have statues in the centre of London.
Walkers at Buxton Mill on the River Bure
What landmarks are there to see in Norfolk?
The Wensum Chalk River – enjoy a riverside walk in Norwich.
The Cromer Ridge – the highest point with a sea view in the East of England is the result of the terminal moraine of an Ice Age glacier.
Blakeney Point - a four-mile shingle and spit that is home to the largest seal colony in the UK.
The Cromer Forest Bed and Deep History Coast – prehistoric coast that has yielded the largest mammoth skeleton ever found and the oldest human footprints found outside the Great Rift Valley in Africa.
Flint – building material for our churches and medieval buildings but also mined at the Neolithic Grime’s Graves in the Brecks for axes and making fire.
Visitors on the battlements enjoy panoramic views of Norwich
What are Norfolk’s top historical sights?
In Norwich, the Norman Castle and Cathedral.
Houghton Hall was built by the first prime minister of England, Sir Robert Walpole.
Port town King's Lynn has more Graded buildings than destinations including York.
Burgh Castle outside Great Yarmouth is the largest remaining Roman building left in Britain.
Cobbled Elm Hill in medieval Norwich
What is the nicest area of Norfolk?
All areas of Norfolk are nice to visit and each offers a different short break or holiday.
Great Yarmouth is the biggest and best family-friendly resort on the east coast, famous for its Golden Mile of amusements, rides and attractions.
Norwich is the best-preserved medieval city in the UK, and a brilliant mix of old cobbled streets with modern independent shopping and culture and arts.
Royal Norfolk includes historic King’s Lynn, the Royal estate at Sandringham and amazing birdlife on The Wash at Snettisham.
The Norfolk Coast includes huge sandy beaches, soaring cliffs, shingle spits and saltmarshes.
The Brecks is an historic landscape of heathland with chalk rivers and some of the oldest archaeological sites in the country.
The Broads National Park includes 125 miles of navigable, lock-free waterways – and they’re man-made.
Visitors can go down a Neolithic flint mine at Grime's Graves
Frequently asked questions about Norfolk
What food is Norfolk famous for?
The eponymous Cromer crab is so succulent and meaty because they feed off the world’s longest chalk reef, just offshore. Norfolk also has the best malting barley because it is grown at height and benefits from salty sea frets.
What is Norfolk named after?
Norfolk is named for the ‘North folk’ of the East Angles who ruled the area before the Norman Invasion of 1066.
Is there anything to do in Norfolk?
Norfolk has things to do year-round – visitors can enjoy amazing wildlife, local food from the countryside and sea, charming villages and vibrant market towns. Most of all, visitors can relax in magnificent landscapes, while gazing upon huge skies.
What is unique to Norfolk?
Neolithic Grime's Graves is the only open flint mine in the country.
The Hippodrome Circus at Great Yarmouth is the last permanent circus building in the country and famous for its water spectacular shows.
Great Yarmouth's Pleasure Beach has the UK's last scenic rollercoaster and last one without automatic brakes - it's down to an on-board brakeman.
Cromer Pier is home to the world’s last end-of-pier theatre with shows throughout the year.
The Blickling Pyramid is a wonderment to encounter on a walk in the estate.
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