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The history of the City is inextricably linked to the hot springs that rise from the earth here at a constant temperature of 46.5 º Celsius.
The Celts were the first people to settle in the area, and they built several temples to their goddess of water, Sulis, on the site.
However the first proper city to be built here was first founded by the Romans who were also attracted to the area because of the natural supply of hot water.
They built a series of Baths around the springs and a town quickly grew up around them - which they called Aquae Sulis after the Celtic Goddess.
These Roman Baths can still be seen today, and are considered by many to be one of the best preserved examples of Roman architecture in Britain.
After the Romans left the baths fell into decline, but under the Saxons the city had continued importance as a political and religious centre.
For the next few centuries the City was most renowned for its magnificent Abbey, and it was here that Edgar, the first King of England, was crowned in the 10th century.
In the Middle Ages the City began to prosper from the wool trade and it quickly became a thriving market town.
Then, during the renaissance of the 16th century, a new complex of baths was built and the city became a fashionable spa town frequented by royalty and high society.
However it was during the 18th century that the City reached its height of popularity as a spa, and it is this period that Bath is synonymous with. This is because in the 18th century the popular belief that spring waters had medicinal benefits led to a renewed fashion for spa towns - and of these Bath was the most popular.
Elegant Georgian town houses sprung up all over the place and the rich and famous in English high society all flocked to the town.
It is this Georgian architecture that the city is now most famous for and stringent planning regulations have ensured that it has remained one of the most beautiful cities in the whole of the UK.
This museum is located Sydney Gardens, in the east of the town.
The museum houses a collection of 17th and 18th century decorative and fine art, based on the private collection of Sir Thomas Holbourne.
Exhibits range from furniture and silverware to paintings by famous artists such as Turner, Reynolds and Gainsborough.
The museum is open daily but hours vary according to day so do check opening hours in advance. Admission costs around £3.50 for adults.
Sally Lunn's is a restaurant-museum, located in the oldest house in Bath. The building dates from the 15th century, although the façade is from the 17th century. It is named after the 17th century baker who invented the famous Sally Lunn Bun, similar to the French brioche. A Sally Lunn bun is a traditional version of a manchet, a traditional English yeast bread originating from Bath in the West Country of England.The restaurant naturally still serves this speciality which to this day is baked to a secret recipe.
The recipe for this bun is said to have originated in Bath with the arrival in 1680 of a Huguenot immigrant called Solange (Sollie) Luyon[1] who brought her native skill and worked at a Bath bakery - this bakery is now known as Sally Lunn's House and can be visited today with the original recipe buns available for sale or consumption in the dining rooms. Sally Lunn is a corruption of her name and the bun became a very popular delicacy in Georgian England as its taste and lightness allowed it to be enjoyed with either sweet or savoury accompaniments.
In the basement of the restaurant is a museum, which recreates life and work in a 17th century baker's shop, complete with original oven. Sally Lunn's is open daily but opening hours vary so do check in advance.