York, England: Medieval England's Second City - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite

York offers a fascinating collection of great sights mixed with an easygoing pedestrian ambience all lassoed within its formidable wall. It is home to York Minster, Britain's largest Gothic church, which brilliantly shows that the late Middle Ages were far from dark. More info about travel to York: www.ricksteves.com/europe/eng... #ricksteves #ricksteveseurope #york
Visit www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read...
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read...
• European Tours: www.ricksteves.com/tours
• Guidebooks: store.ricksteves.com/shop/gui...
• Travel Gear: store.ricksteves.com/shop/
• Travel Classes: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read...
• Rick Steves Audio Europe App: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read...
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.

[@slayermate07]

york, the original heart of the north.

[@robflynn509]

Just stumbled across this, that's me ringing Great Peter, the bell, all 10.75 tons of it. I haven't seen this since visiting Rick Steve's studios near Seattle in 2008, a year or two after this was filmed, where they made me very welcome.

[@EmmaLightwing]

Lived in York nearly my whole life. Love it. Just so quaint, cosy and beautiful!

[@jamiecamberwell8966]

Yes, a beautiful city!

[@SoldierTrading]

Beautiful lands. I am proud to be a soldier to serve this wonderful city. THE YORKSHIRE REGIMENT! ;)

[@kmmining1359]

thank you for your service :)

[@khi590]

it is amazing - as is for all RickSteves reports- how in such a short time most beautiful pictures and so much information is transported in a delightful manner - thanks so much!

[@akshayachu3964]

What an enormous church..💓 I love England.

[@zoeee4939]

I love York, I live in Cambridge but York is just amazing!

[@BexleyAnnabelle]

zoeee same!

[@joshnicholson2934]

Wanna swap? :')

[@VisitYork]

Cambridge is a lovely city too, Zoeee. Hope you get to come up and visit York again soon

[@rachaelphilip4848]

I absolutely love York and try my hardest go yearly with my mother - we're going next week for her birthday...honestly, our best days have been spent in that beautiful city, looking at the art, learning the history and enjoying the supernatural side - as well as a few of the bars :-) our favourite being the red lion...honestly, its an amazing place to go to

[@pulrh]

Nice video. A lot of people missing the point in the comments about the title; as it says, it was medieval England's second city - the most important after London for much the medieval period, very wealthy, and significant administratively, strategically and religiously. Birmingham and Manchester were nowhere in the period Rick Steves is talking about.

[@BoiseG]

I had the pleasure of taking a 3 week trip through Enlgand, Scotland and Ireland this summer and York was my favorite city of all that I visited. North England, Northumberland, Hadrian's Wall, was my most favorite region. Don't miss it! ...on a side note, for those on a budget, realize that visiting any of these large churches is quite expensive. They are all very beautiful, but access to each is anywhere from $20-$30 per person in US dollars.

[@Thetravelinchicks]

We loved York too! It felt like a movie set. Plus the food there was literally Amazing! Such a great city.

[@squarepants49]

BoiseG I see these magnificent buildings as part of America's history also- up until 1777 that is. Hope you weren't ripped off too much by our short sighted money grubbing establishments whilst over here- London being the main culprit when it comes to the extortion of foreign visitors.

[@diamondlil7819]

If you go to York Minster to worship at evensong, you get in for free. If you go as a tourist to see a historic 'site', then you pay as a tourist as you would at a stately home, for instance. Don't you think that's fair? These buildings cost thousands every day to maintain and run: it is mean-spirited tourists who want things for free as some kind of right who irritate me.

[@VisitYork]

Glad to hear you loved York :)

[@saadwaheed465]

$20-30 ?,😲😲 I am a student going to york tomorrow i don't think i can spend that kind of money.

[@HummingBirdCrow80]

I remember this town when I was younger,very beautiful.

[@LightW]

as kid i visited there once, it's the worlds most beautiful city. and someday i'm going to live there! :D

[@brythonicman3267]

Only a small city, ( just over 100.000 or so) but a stunning place to live, makes you proud to be a Yorkshireman

[@yamnayaseed356]

I'll be there in January 2018. Can't wait,looks stunning

[@worshiptheanimal]

How was it?

[@VisitYork]

Hope you had a wonderful time!

[@bilzy7727]

@@worshiptheanimal Visited today, It was beautiful with its rich history!.

[@Sebtastical]

I tell you, after living in sunderland and london it really does make me proud it's my hometown, the greenery is something that looks brighter for some reason there than anywhere else.

[@peloquin1979]

People will argue Birmingham or Manchester as the 2nd city, but it still doesn't alter the fact that York is much more picturesque and interesting than either of those two cities. I would recommend York to anyone who hasn't visited yet.

[@peloquin1979]

@Johannes Liechtenauer I know, I lived there. I did like the canals they had there though, it seemed like an escape from the madness.

[@mrdarren1045]

MEDIEVAL England's second city. A time when Manchester and Birmingham meant nothing.

[@55lilyflynn]

York is fantastic and the minster a marvel indeed.

[@hafizmuhammadali1687]

York is a beautiful place to live and visit with ,,I spend 1.5 Years in York while studying in York st John university,,nice place to Visit with , and also People of YORK is friendly ,,,LOVE YOU YORK

[@petersj16]

Intelligent narration and beautifully filmed great!

[@Serryblue22]

I loved living here, I didn't appreciate it at the time as a child but I do now, must go back sometime.

[@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER]

I thought Seville in Espana(Spain) was majestic,but York on a sunny day beats Seville hands down!

[@exploreearth6275]

Amazing footage of York

[@CARLOS62B]

York is my Home ... and you have done a wonderful job with this short video. Thank you for visiting my humble home.

[@sarahbleakley2447]

love this video

[@MJtrewDK]

nice, im from denmark and i have been in york alot of times since my dad is english and lives in york.

[@bermondsey548428]

York is our capital.yorkshire.the true second city of england

[@JymVieira]

Excelente, monumental, magnifico.

[@casper20096]

going here in 3 weeks i love this historic city

[@wangxiaoya6149]

Miss this city so much

[@Benijo]

My favorite city in England by far!!!

[@Vortexrec]

I spent there the happiest days of my life! Nothing like York!

[@basquill1]

Stay 4 days, it's a lovely city! It could be cold in March, could even be snowing. English weather is unpredictable, and we've had the coldest winter here for over 30 years.

[@homertime97]

Very interesting.

[@amritpal9918]

Beautiful

[@MerchantofTarshish]

This town looks drop dead gorgeous.

[@chiichanish]

I visited York in 2004 ,it was a beautiful city which I learned in social studies.

[@melvingamer]

I am going to York soon. How many days do you need , is 4 enough?

[@maryloupugh1625]

Makes it sound better then it is WOW and it's sunny that's rare x but it's a sure good place to live or visit

[@Thetravelinchicks]

We had gorgeous weather when we were there too! Great times in such a great city!!

[@vanessapickering735]

Marylou pugh lol we rarely get sun ☀️ most of the time it rains 😢

[@mireillebessemans7939]

I am reading a book about the history of England and those videos come in very opportunely

[@angelofdarkness49]

Cannot wait to move there when i'm going to university

[@Jowybean]

i love york!

[@dexterellis7818]

If you visit York, you have to go to York Minster. It is incredible.

[@lollyclan]

my home... how i miss it..

[@barcawi76]

I will never forget the six monthes that i lived in York

[@alexandracuco6352]

God blesses Lady Amanda& Andrew ...and me...

[@grahamw56]

My home town too. :)

[@basquill1]

@speccyviking91 Yes I think so too! Looks like Durham Cathedral with Durham Castle on the left. View seen from the train travelling North, a journey I know very well.

[@boterballetje]

I'm going to York on a school trip :-)

[@RebeccaisRandom]

Proud to live here! :D

[@picturestorage1832]

Nice town, sad to leave it.

[@EskimoMonkeyProd]

my god, its beatiful.

[@SouthyA]

My hometown

[@EASYTIGER10]

The opening shot from the train is Durham, not York

[@DaleyMayall]

You didn't catch me out - why put Durham Cathedral on the opening shot?

[@ultrasbad]

york is fantastic city

[@jaimechanlibrado1689]

How about Leeds, is it nice and safe to live there as well?

[@andyo6713]

+Jaime Librado Leeds is a nice place to visit, not for history but great for shopping and eating and drinking, depends what your budget is, there are some really nice places to live, but there are some horrible places too....if i was choosing id live in york, best of both worlds, you get to live in a beautiful city but your only 30 minutes from Leeds if you want to visit

[@siomimito]

York has a lot of history with the Wikings

[@kyshauk1911]

wheres that?

[@yilehuli]

我也喜欢York, 我在那里上学啊。春天的约克好美啊。 教堂，城墙博物馆，火车博物馆，好美啊。 2003－2004， 好怀念啊。

[@basquill1]

Stay 4 days, it's a lovely city. March could be cold, it could snow also. British weather is unpredictable. We've had the coldest winter here for over 30 years.

[@maryjackson8863]

Very fascinating . . . thanks for a great video. York is a wonderful city and as somebody who has visited it previously I would highly recommend others do. It's a wonderful city to walk around, however, if you're driving through like I did in one of 4x4vehiclehire.co.uk/4x4-hire-york/'s vehicles it is still as wonderful. It's got a population of over 205,000 and they really are a wonderfully welcoming bunch.

[@javamurniadi6520]

I wish I lived here

[@TolangJenny]

THE GREATEST CITY EVER!!!

[@maryloupugh1625]

I was born and raised in York

[@kmmining1359]

me too, Leeman Road, St Barnabas Infants & Poppleton Road Junior School :)

[@paddyfields7936]

read a magazine sitting on that column at 25 seconds haha

[@Lytton333]

No, you can't buy them from shops, because (as I said) they have all gradually closed.. There is ONE single butchers shop in the Shambles (for a city population approaching 150 000 + people) and that is a more upmarket and trendified example aimed more at passing tourist trade than for day to day needs. The market hasn't been there for 'thousands of years (more like a few hundred) and has only been left alone by the vagaries of council planners because it's good for the tourist trade.

[@casper20096]

is york near bradford in yorkshire ??

[@mrdarren1045]

Not really. Bradford is west York's and York is north yorks. Also culturally and historically they are light years apart. York is a gem whilst Bradford is basically a dump.

[@Ni_b3n_ichi_ryu]

good to skate

[@hellborn5752]

I live there

[@i--hate--life]

Canada is also beautiful 😍

[@speccyviking91]

Wasn't that first shot of Durham?

[@mrdarren1045]

Yep!

[@danc1441]

Fantastic video but the first clip looks like Durham, not York.

[@vanessapickering735]

Dan C I live in york trust me it is york.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

@@vanessapickering735 It's Durham Cathedral with the castle on the left. Check out the central tower - quite different to York's which is shown in the next shot. And there is no panaramic view of York Minster and the city from the train.

[@yomomyomom3507]

I just read of locals attacking tourists in York. Is it safe to visit? (I'd love to visit it)

[@750joshua]

I'm not a local as I don't live in York but not a visitor/tourist as I visit a few times a month and I can tell you you'll be fine! Every city has its fair share of horrible people so York is no different but you'll be fine in the tourist areas.

[@andyo6713]

+Yomom Yomom anyone can be attacked in any town and city around the world, please dont be put off, its one of the safest cities in England crime wise, and i have never felt threatened. you get drunks on friday and saturday nights but they tend not to pick on people minding their own business

[@kazamshah4543]

Been to York a few times. Nice place to visit, and the people are really pleasant, although some might argue that its a bit dull and boring. West Yorkshire is total hellhole to walk around in, but as you go into North Yorkshire it becomes more relieving and much more civilized.

[@vanessapickering735]

Yomom Yomom i live in york, I don’t attack ppl!

[@mrdarren1045]

Its the zombies you have to be careful about. Still, arm yourself with a machete and some mace and you should be able to handle the locals just fine. In fact I'd say a visit to the minster will result in nothing more than superficial bruising... Perhaps the odd broken bone. But isn't that the case with everywhere these days?

[@kakoroto]

lucky you :)

[@buzzybeepopman2009]

York minister is beautiful

[@lordhebe]

@thed0dgydancer Well, it used to be. It was the Industrial Revolution that pushed Birmingham and Manchester to the forefront. Culturally, though, I'd argue York is still more important. And yes...I went there yesterday...it is genuinely beautiful.

[@TheLloydA1]

He did not mean that York was the second city now,But in the period he was talking about.

[@Lytton333]

Bit of an exaggeration to say there's a baker's shop in every street, There are three Thomas The Baker's in the city-centre. And that is just about it They're the only company that can afford the rates. We should perhaps be thankful for that I suppose. How many tea shops have opened in the last two years do you suppose? Or tourist knick-knackery shops?

[@julianriobo9033]

Why second??? Which one comes first?

[@mrdarren1045]

Bradford

[@julianriobo9033]

@@mrdarren1045 Bradford upon Avon?

[@LegoCityMaster13]

I realised after watching this video that we really are blessed to live in this country. I live in Hampshire but I've always wanted to visit York. Shame I've heard stories that most people in Yorkshire want separatism from England, is this true?

[@MegaVector2011]

Not at all, media hype I guess? I thought that was Cornwall actually. Love Hampshire/New Forest, been there many times.

[@spudgun4286]

I would love an independent Yorkshire

[@oysterhunter276]

+Joah Nugent Why? It would just cause more problems.

[@andyo6713]

+Flame thrower yes we would love to be independant, we are the biggest county in england by far and we get nothing from the southern based government, however i dont see why this would be a problem? yorkshire people are friendly unless you cross them.

[@oysterhunter276]

Andrew Owen Well, none of the North get much from the South based government. Do you think the whole of the North should get independence?

[@YorkyOne]

The Middle Ages have never been described as'dark'.

[@kelseybarber2756]

i live here

[@lissiecat9617]

Kelsey Barber Me too :3

[@Lytton333]

The last fruit and veg shop has just closed in central York.. the last butcher's shop in 2010.. only 2 bakers are left. The entire walled-centre is now directed at catering for tourists and day-trippers. More and more cafes and trinket-shops replace proper businesses. The locals find themselves marginalised to the ugly retail-parks on the orbital roads. thus creating serious traffic-problems. Some days the locals can't move in the streets for tourists.. And no end to it is in sight..

[@mrdarren1045]

Omg so now the ppl will starve. We need to send Bob geldof asap

[@BrookeRainwater]

What is the population?

[@750joshua]

205,000 :)

[@BrookeRainwater]

+JW Wow. Really? I would of never guessed.

[@750joshua]

Rosjon Rainwater You asked about it?...

[@BrookeRainwater]

+JW why are you being an ass? I just was surprised about the population that you mentioned. Geez. Calm down.

[@750joshua]

Rosjon Rainwater Sorry, there's too many sarcastic people on KZbin so I took you're comment sarcastic (hopefully you can see why). My bad:) What did you think the population was?

[@TheHesK9]

I thought Norwich was the 2nd city in Medieval times

[@QWERTYOP80]

Small point, but York is not England's second city. Not even close.

[@mrdarren1045]

Urm... Small point... It was in MEDIEVAL England when Birmingham and Manchester weren't even close to being cities. Try reading. If you find that too challenging you could always just LISTEN to what he actually says

[@thed0dgydancer]

I thought Birmingham and Manchester were considered the "Second Cities"? I'd prefer it if York was though. It's beautiful.

[@mrdarren1045]

The second city in 'medieval' times, when Manchester and Birmingham were nothing places.

[@mynameisdilksy]

I prefer the new one

[@fujivillan]

Birmingham is officially the second city of the uk.

[@fujivillan]

www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/cameron-birmingham-englands-second-city-8645642

[@Picnicl]

Sean is correct. However the video title might be just implying about that York used to be the 'Capital of the North'.

[@fujivillan]

249 11752 I live in Birmingham. I wouldn't trade anywhere else for Birmingham. Have you even visited the city of Birmingham? Because I could right a book on how beautiful Brum is. And how great it is.

[@Picnicl]

I've visited Birmingham and it's a heck of a lot more attractive than many cities (I'm going to name some names- Sheffield, Peterborough, Norwich are not that pretty overall to me despite Peterborough having a beautiful cathedral). The canals are a lovely feature. Birmingham's got some of the best schools in the country too, plus Birmingham University is highly ranked (top 20 university- top 10 for English, Physics, Dentistry, Philosophy, Music, Psychology for instance), and it has some very posh areas. Just if you intend to going to Cadbury World in Bourneville, do prebook it as they won't let you in if it's too busy, as it was when I got there.

[@kmmining1359]

I think you miss the point bro, what this documentary is saying is York was the second City built after London, historically speaking. That's how I interpret it anyway.

[@gavinreid8351]

You discuss york but do not mention Vikings.

[@si4632]

they were assimilated 🤣

[@sedwarg]

My favourite city but by no means is it England's second.

[@mrdarren1045]

It was in medieval times... As it said!

[@JVIonsterxD]

I Thought Birmingham Was The 2nd Capital City ;)

[@mrdarren1045]

Birmingham was nothing in medieval times

[@LLLLLLLLLucas]

for those actually listening to the steve, York is indeed Englands second city at the time of Henry VIII

[@worshiptheanimal]

Actually, before henry VIII, it's a medieval city, and henry VIII wasn't medieval

[@saadwaheed465]

Hey non-british here. Is new York named after this city or is it just a coincidence that they both have "York" in their names?

[@mrdarren1045]

@@saadwaheed465 does that really need an answer? The fact that one is a 'new' version surely implies there is an old one. I would have thought only obvious.

[@mrdarren1045]

@@saadwaheed465 and they dont both have York IN their names. It is ones actual name... Its entire name. Not an element of it.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

@@mrdarren1045 Actually, it does need an answer because NY was named after The Duke Of York who led the British expedition that captured it from the Dutch.

[@Mmmkay10]

Who REALLY CARES if it's thriving off of tourist dollars! Be grateful ( if you are in fact a resident) that you ACTUALLY live somewhere beautiful and INTERESTING enough where people want to visit! Would you prefer living in some crappy town that people can give two shits about? I never understand people who live in a place where tourists gravitate too because it's worth visiting. If it was me, I'd be proud living in a place that people want to visit!

[@mrdarren1045]

But York is full of Yorkshire ppl. That is where the problem lies

[@casper20096]

why go back?????? you live in bradford now dont you judy

[@QWERTYOP80]

All these years after uploading & the title still hasn't been corrected. Quite embarrassing.

[@mrdarren1045]

That is because the title is correct. York was MEDIEVAL England's second city.

[@proxel96]

Lot of angry brummies in the comments isn't there ;)

[@worshiptheanimal]

Yeah

[@squarepants49]

Yeh, but that comes with being a Brummie. Birmingham was destroyed by the architecture of the 60s and 70s, e.g. The Bull Ring to name but one.

[@mrdarren1045]

Yeah especially all those who can't read 'medieval' in the title.

[@vashna3799]

Richard III should have been finally laid to rest here , he was after all Richard of York not Richard of "Leicester".

[@lissiecat9617]

Storm Hawk Same! But more than anything for me, I feel it would have been more appropriate for him to have been buried with his family, not be almost an attraction for Leicester. I love Leicester and all, but he was as you say, Richard of York.

[@mrdarren1045]

And only York's ppl would want a child killer buried on their plot

[@mrdarren1045]

@@lissiecat9617 do you mean the family he murdered? Yeah I agree. What a lovely family man he was. Can't think why he became so unpopular at the time. I think tbh they should have left him in a car park. A fitting end IMO. anyone who kills his own family and two children, and also the rightful king. The man was a hideous tyrant, a regicide and common murderer. But hey I'm sure I've got that all wrong. Just like the ppl did in his own age. Or do you have a better idea where the princes went after he took them into his 'care'.

[@lissiecat9617]

@@mrdarren1045 Haha ok, I’m not gonna get into this over a 4 year old redundant comment, have a great day.

[@essvee86]

I thought Manchester was the 2nd city?

[@QWERTYOP80]

***** Still nowhere near close to being considered the 2nd city. That (unofficial) title belongs to either Manchester or Birmingham. Embarrassing oversight from a guy like Steves who is usually so detailed.

[@PinkAmberJane]

Jorvik* not Yorkvik:)

[@tSp289]

QWERTYOP80 No, it literally was the second city for thousands of years, up until the industrial revolution.

[@tSp289]

TheHesK9 Yes, but it literally was the administrative capital of the northern part of Roman Britain, before London was even that important. As time went on it remained one of the most powerful and influential cities on the whole isles, right up until the Wars of the Roses. It's been overtaken by other cities since then, but the size of the city is pretty much irrelevant for that kind of thing. I mean, look at Australia, the Capital city is pretty much just a large town with a population less than a tenth that of some other cities, yet it is still the capital because all the administrative stuff is there.

[@TheHesK9]

Yes I understand that but I'm saying that 2nd city isn't an official title like the capital city. When you think of first and 2nd cities of Australia and usa most people would say New York and LA, and Sydney and Melbourne because they're the 2 biggest or most known. Norwich was the 2nd biggest city hence why it was claimed to be the 2nd city during that period. York claimed it because of the reason you stated

[@stevejepp2044]

'When Rome pulled out, the barbarians moved in." NOT NECESSARILY.