Welcome to St Albans
St Albans, Hertfordshire’s only city, has been welcoming visitors from far afield for over 2,000 years. Although it was first known as Verlamion, the Romans changed the name to Verulamium. By the early Middle Ages the city had become known as St Albans, after the first British Christian martyr, St Alban, who is reputed to be buried on the site where the Cathedral & Abbey Church now stands. Today the city of St Albans is compact and easy to explore on foot. The magnificent Cathedral still dominates the skyline of the city and is best known for the shrine of St Alban and its medieval wall paintings. Beyond the Cathedral you can relax in the green oasis of Verulamium Park, 100 acres of tranquil parkland close to the heart of the city and the architectural heritage of St Michael's village and Fishpool Street.
The city boasts a wide range of attractions to visit. Verulamium Museum displays beautiful objects from the old Roman city, the Museum of St Albans tells the story of the city from the departure of the Romans up to the present day, while the St Albans Organ Theatre houses the Charles Hart Collection of mainly mechanical musical instruments. You can find details of these and many more places of interest within this guide.
Shopping in the city is a real pleasure, with its historic ambience providing the setting in which to explore a range of well-known high street names alongside many specialist shops offering antiques, books, designer clothes, furniture, giftware, jewellery and more. The historic bustling market fills the city centre streets every Wednesday and Saturday, offering an enormous variety of goods. The city is well provided with over 120 restaurants and cafés and a great number of historic pubs and inns for that well-deserved refreshment break.
Situated close to the M1 and M25, and just 20 minutes from central London by rail, St Albans is the perfect destination for a day trip or for a short break, staying in one of our many hotels or guest houses. We look forward to welcoming you to St Albans, where the best of the old meets the best of the new.