Golden miles of traditional pleasure beaches, cities pinpricked with cathedral spires and wide open countryside: you have arrived in East England. Fun-filled trips start on the refreshing North Sea coast between Victorian piers and pastel beach huts. Inland, bustling market towns spring up in vast expanses of Fens’ marshland. Navigate between windmills on The Broads' network of sleepy rivers and lakes. Warblers and cranes also like to paddle here. Vales and mills in John Constable’s landscape paintings come to life in Suffolk. The low-lying villages and woodlands on the Painter's Trail are easily explored by bike. Giggle at gargoyle carvings on university colleges or cheer thoroughbreds on race days.
East England
May events: The Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Norwich becomes a hotbed of international art and performance every May.
Location: Norwich, Norfolk
Holiday amongst the clouds
For a fairytale holiday on the Suffolk Coast, drop your bags off at The House in the Clouds, a weird and wonderful holiday home.
Location: Thorpeness, Suffolk
Stay in a 200-year-old tower
Book a stay in a converted 19th century fort, where sea views and dreamy skies are all part of the décor.
Location: Shingle Street, Suffolk
Discover Maggi Hambling’s The Scallop
The Scallop, this iconic image of the Suffolk Coast arrived on Aldeburgh beach in 2003, courtesy of local artist, Maggi Hambling.
Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Saxon Heritage at Sutton Hoo
See one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time at Sutton Hoo.
Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk
Fitzwilliam Museum & Botanic Gardens
Ancient insights and green fingers in Cambridge.
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
See Europe's largest air museum at IWM Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford is Europe’s largest air museum with over 300 aircraft and objects on display.
Location: Duxford, Cambridgeshire
Explore Cambridge University
Take a walking tour through the colleges that make up one of the most prestigious universities in the world – Cambridge.
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
July events: Cambridge Folk Festival
Join thousands in enjoying some of the finest folk music in Europe, at a gorgeous country hall in Cambridge.
Location: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Explore the nooks and crannies of Norwich’s artistic spaces
Norwich is full of cultural activities, with many arts venues found in surprising places, some amongst its most beautiful gardens and public spaces.
Location: Norwich, Norfolk
May events: Get down to The Suffolk Show
Take your family on a weekend break to Suffolk’s biggest and barmiest event near Ipswich and see the Shetland Pony Grand National.
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Find a festival for everyone in Suffolk
Suffolk is the county for festivals, large and small, with at least one a week between May and October.
Location: Suffolk
See Lynn Lumiere light up King's Lynn's historic buildings
Rich in history and fascinating by day, Lynn Lumiere lights up some of King's Lynn's stunning building with an amazing animated light display every evening from dusk.
Location: King's Lynn, Norfolk
Follow in the footsteps of great artists in Constable Country
Explore the Suffolk landscape that has inspired artists for centuries, rambling across dramatic open spaces backed by huge skies.
Location: Flatford Mill, Suffolk
July events: Latitude Festival
Combine sing-your-heart-out music, wild swimming, theatre, comedy, great food and family-friendly activities and you have Latitude Festival, held in Henham Park, Suffolk.
Location: Suffolk