Norfolk is a diverse county with fantastic unspoilt coast and countryside, with great sights, visitor attractions and things to do. There’s also always plenty of events going on. With so much to do it’s hard to narrow down the long list of reasons to visit, but this is our top 10.
Top visitor attractions
Norfolk has adventure playgrounds such as BeWILDerwood and Go Ape. You can meet animals at Banham Zoo, Wroxham Barns, Amazona and Thrigby Hall and dinosaurs at Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure Park. Discover more about the natural world at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve and Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden. There’s Norman Castle Rising, Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Castle; stately homes such as Sandringham, Holkham, Blickling, Felbrigg, Oxburgh and Houghton; and Norfolk has wonderful museums too.
Seaside resorts for family fun
Norfolk has three amazing seaside resorts that offer flip-flop family fun! In Great Yarmouth there’s the Golden Mile and Pleasure Beach. Cromer has the last end-of-pier theatre show in Europe. Hunstanton has trips to see the seals and plenty to amuse.
Beaches – miles and miles of unspoilt sand
Norfolk has 90 miles of unspoilt coast (93 when the tide’s out) with cliffs, marram grass-tufted dunes and tidal salt marshes. Most of all though, it has pristine beaches ideal for swimming, playing games and building sandcastles. On the east coast, there’s Gorleston, Gt Yarmouth, Winterton, Sea Palling, Horsey and more. On the north Norfolk coast Cromer is great, Brancaster is huge and Holkham/Wells has been voted the best beach in Britain!
Dog-friendly beaches in Norfolk
The Norfolk Broads – Britain’s only man-made National Park
Norfolk is possibly most famous for the man-made Broads, over 125 miles of navigable lock-free waterways set in beautiful countryside and with many charming and picturesque towns and villages. The big skies and sparkling landscape of marshland fields, feathery reeds and tangled woodlands are a perfect canvas for adventure and relaxation – time to reflect, space to explore, a magical opportunity to enjoy a fabulous break.
Best things to do in the Broads
Norwich – our Fine City of shopping, culture and heritage
Norwich is a wonderful fusion of the modern and historic, one complementing the other. Like any great city its centre is easy to walk around and has a river at its heart. As well as being the most complete medieval city in the UK, it has a flourishing arts, music and cultural scene, superb independent as well as High Street shopping, lively restaurants, bars and nightlife and a heritage that is a delight to explore.
Birdwatching – Norfolk is the UK capital of it
Norfolk is a birdwatchers’ paradise and there’s plenty to see whatever the time of year. Watch the winter migrants on the coast, or the spectacular raptors coming in to roost in the Broads; listen to enchanting dawn chorus in the spring in ancient woodlands, or marvel at the nesting peregrines over summer on the Norman cathedral right in the heart of Norwich. From specialities birds in Norfolk such as the marsh harrier, bittern and stone curlews to easily recognisable birds like kingfishers and geese, Norfolk has a stunning range of bird life, child-friendly visitor centres and beautiful nature reserves in which it can be discovered.
Cycling – no need to be the King of the Mountain!
Pedalling through narrow country lanes and woodland cycle routes with the breeze in your hair and sun on your face, or cycling along pretty coastal paths past fields of poppies and golden barley and with the distant sea sparkling on the horizon, cycling in Norfolk gives you the freedom to explore. And, of course, you don’t have to be the Tour de France’s King of the Mountains to enjoy it – the county’s undulations are extremely benign.
Best cycling routes in Norfolk
Oh, and walking’s pretty good here too!
Food and drink – amongst the best in Britain
It’s Norfolk’s amazing landscape that gives us such great food and drink, from the sandy, free-draining soil that’s ideal for succulent pork to the rich Fens soil that give us fabulous vegetables and fruit. And you can’t miss out the coast that gives us lobsters, crab, samphire, mackerel, oysters, mussels, cockles and more. Try them in a local restaurant or pub where the menu tells you the provenance of the ingredients.
Big Sky Thinking
You’ve heard of blue sky thinking, well this is the county of big sky thinking! For centuries Norfolk’s wide open skies has inspired poets, artists and writers. And underneath those skies are miles of unspoilt coastline, beautiful countryside, forests and heathland, internationally-important nature reserves, easy-going walking, the unique man-made Broads and much more.
Take a look at our blogs to be inspired yourself
Accommodation you’ll love
Norfolk has accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets. An ideal destination for a great holiday or a short break, you can pick from boutique hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks, camping and glamping, country cottages, hotels and pubs, and you can even stay on water!
