Historic Dockyard is ‘Portsmouth’s blockbuster attraction’ in the Lonely Planet’s Great Britain Guidebook published today
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the city’s ‘blockbuster attraction’ and ‘ranks alongside Greenwich as one of England’s most fascinating centres of maritime history’, according to the latest edition of the Lonely Planet’s Great Britain Guidebook, published today.
With the economic squeeze changing the way in which people are holidaying, the trendy travel publisher has focused their attentions on ‘staycationers’ and highlight the best (and worst!) of what this country has to offer.
The eighth edition of the guide, could provide a welcome boost to Portsmouth tourism as the economic squeeze alters the way people are holidaying.
David Else, the co-ordinating author, said: "These staycationers can''t afford all the costs associated with holidaying abroad, especially in light of the Eurozone being so expensive, and have realised that they can find better value at home.
"The fantastic summer weather forecast has been an extra incentive for Brits to stay at home and explore more of their own country."
In the summary of Portsmouth, Lonely Planet say that ‘the city’s fine array of naval museums justifies an overnight stay’.
The guide tells its readers of the Historic Dockyard ‘set in the heart of the country’s most important naval port, it comprises three stunning ships and a clutch of museums that pay homage to the historical might of the Royal Navy. Together they make for a full day’s outing’.
On describing each of the attractions, HMS Victory is ‘as resplendent as she is venerable’ and ‘the dockyard’s star sight’, ‘a stirring experience and there’s huge demand for the excellent 40-minute tours’. ‘Equally thrilling are the remains of 16th century warship and darling of Henry VIII, the Mary Rose’, and highly praised is the ‘stately dame’ HMS Warrior 1860 who ‘anywhere else, the magnificent warship… would grab centre stage’.
Lonely Planet doesn’t just gush about the ships it also devotes a listing to ‘this huge museum’, the Royal Naval Museum, the Mary Rose Museum ‘crammed full of recovered treasures and fascinating facts’, and not forgetting the ‘warehouse-based interactive experience’ Action Stations! – ‘it’s a fun one’.
Famed for "telling it how it is", The Lonely Planet Great Britain guidebook is written by independent, dedicated travellers who visit thousands of hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and tourist attractions, printing over 90 million books.'
