Leisure Breaks

Edinburgh is the UK’s favourite city once again for weekend breaks, short breaks midweek and at weekends, and a huge variety of special offers. Just voted another time by readers - the 7th year in succession - as Favourite UK City 2004 - Guardian Observer Travel Awards, this is truly the city to come to for short stays and indeed longer holidays. Edinburgh is an "extraordinary city" with a "unique blend of culture, sophistication and architecture", as described in The Lonely Planet Guide to Britain.

A booming, bustling European capital with a new parliament and vibrant social scene, it is now talked of in the same breath as Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Berlin. A year round calendar of festivals, major art exhibitions - some exclusive to Edinburgh - and a choice of visitor attractions to fill a month’s visit, provide an almost overwhelming choice for decision making. So it's always best to plan an itinerary before you arrive.

This is a city that has all one can ever want for Theatre Breaks in Edinburgh, sportijng breaks, and great mid week or weekend City Leisure Breaks. A city steeped in history that will keep the ardent information seeker well served from the number one attraction of Edinburgh Castle to the many museums and buildings illustrating growth from town to modern city.

The juxtaposition of the Old and New Towns which describe the medieval wynds up towards the Castle and the symmetrical streets of the new town layouts in the 1700 and 1800's lie as predecessors to contemporary architecture of the financial districts and the birth of the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood.

There's a plethora of bars, clubs, restaurants and cafés in a metropolis described as having more bars and restaurants per capita than any other UK city.

For film buffs, there's art-house and mainstream cinemas and the International Film Festival in August each year. Edinburgh is also truly a magnet for world-class culture from modern art to experimental dance, old and new plays and live music from pubs to stage.

The capital city of any country is most often the first place to visit and with most hotels offering a choice of special weekend offers, a short break in Edinburgh will not be beaten.