The city where a king was found under a car park, with a space centre, a famous market and the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India.
Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, founded by the Romans, and one of the most diverse. Its large South Asian community, many of whom arrived from East Africa and India in the 1960s and 1970s, has shaped its food, festivals and character. It is a friendly, lively and proud city.
Leicester made headlines around the world in 2012, when the remains of King Richard III were found beneath a car park in the city centre. It is also home to a space centre, a famous market, and sports teams that have surprised the world. This guide covers eight things to see and do.
1. King Richard III Visitor Centre and Leicester Cathedral
Richard III was the last king of England to die in battle, killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, a few miles west of Leicester. His body was brought to Leicester and buried in the church of the Greyfriars, a friary that was later destroyed. For centuries, nobody knew exactly where he lay.
In 2012, archaeologists digging in a council car park on the site of the old friary found a skeleton with a curved spine and battle wounds. DNA tests confirmed it was Richard III. The discovery made headlines around the world.
The King Richard III Visitor Centre, on the site of the discovery, tells the story of his life, his death and the search for his grave. You can see the place where his remains were found through a glass floor. It is a gripping story, well told.
In 2015, Richard III was reburied in Leicester Cathedral, across the road, in a moving ceremony watched by millions. His tomb, a simple block of stone, stands in the cathedral. The cathedral has been through a major renovation, so check opening times before you go.
2. The National Space Centre
The National Space Centre, in the north of the city, is the largest attraction in the UK dedicated to space. It opened in 2001, and its striking rocket tower, covered in a transparent skin, has become a landmark. It is a brilliant day out for all ages.
Inside the tower stand real rockets, including a Blue Streak, a British rocket developed in the 1950s. The galleries tell the story of space exploration, from the first satellites to the Moon landings and the International Space Station. There are real spacesuits, satellites and a piece of Moon rock.
The Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium, named after the famous astronomer, is the largest planetarium in the UK. Its shows take you on a journey through the universe. They are spectacular.
There are interactive exhibits, simulators and plenty to keep children busy. Allow at least half a day. The centre is about two miles from the city centre, and it is easily reached by car.
3. Leicester Market
Leicester Market has been trading for more than seven hundred years, and it is one of the largest covered outdoor markets in Europe. It stands in the heart of the city centre. It is a lively and colourful place.
Its stalls sell fruit and vegetables, flowers, clothes and household goods, and its prices are famously good. The food hall has fresh meat, fish and cheese. The market reflects the diversity of the city, with food from around the world.
The market has been modernised in recent years, and the area around it has been improved, with new public spaces. It is a great place to feel the life of the city. Market traders are friendly and full of banter.
The Corn Exchange, a grand building in the market square, is now a bar and restaurant. The streets around the market have independent shops. It is a good place to start exploring the city.
4. The Golden Mile and Diwali
Belgrave Road, in the north of the city, is known as the Golden Mile. It is lined with shops selling saris, gold jewellery and fabrics, and with restaurants and sweet shops. It is the heart of Leicester’s South Asian community.
Leicester is famous for its Diwali celebrations, said to be the largest outside India. Every autumn, thousands of lights are switched on along the Golden Mile, and tens of thousands of people come to watch. On Diwali night, there are fireworks and celebrations.
The atmosphere during Diwali is joyful, with music, dancing, food and families dressed in their finest clothes. It is one of the most colourful events in Britain. Visitors of all backgrounds are welcome.
The restaurants along the Golden Mile serve some of the best Indian food in the country, much of it vegetarian. The sweet shops sell colourful Indian sweets. During Diwali, the area is extremely busy, so a car dropping you nearby is the easiest way to get there.
5. Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and New Walk
New Walk is a Georgian promenade, laid out in 1785, which runs from the city centre towards the suburbs. It is a peaceful, tree lined path free of traffic, with elegant houses along the way. It is one of the most pleasant walks in the city.
Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, on New Walk, has a wide range of collections. Its gallery of German Expressionist art is one of the most important in Britain. It also has ancient Egyptian mummies and a gallery of dinosaurs.
The museum’s star dinosaur is the Rutland dinosaur, one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons found in Britain, discovered in a quarry in the county next door. Children love it. Entry to the museum is free.
Nearby, the Jewry Wall is one of the tallest surviving pieces of Roman masonry in Britain, part of the Roman public baths. A museum beside it tells the story of Roman Leicester. It is a remarkable survival in the middle of a modern city.
6. Bradgate Park
Bradgate Park, about six miles north west of Leicester, is one of the most beautiful country parks in the Midlands. It covers around eight hundred and fifty acres of rugged heathland, ancient oak trees and rocky outcrops. Herds of red and fallow deer roam freely.
The park was the birthplace of Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for just nine days in 1553 before being executed. The ruins of her family home, Bradgate House, still stand in the park. It is a moving place.
On a hill above the park stands Old John, a folly tower built in the eighteenth century. From there the views across the county are wonderful. The rocks in the park are among the oldest in England.
The park is very popular with families and walkers, and it can be busy on sunny weekends. There are cafés and a visitor centre. It is best reached by car.
7. Bosworth Battlefield
The Battle of Bosworth, fought in 1485, was one of the most important battles in English history. Richard III was killed, and Henry Tudor became King Henry VII, founding the Tudor dynasty. It marked the end of the Wars of the Roses.
The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, about fifteen miles west of Leicester, tells the story of the battle. Its exhibition explains the armies, the weapons and the events of the day. Archaeologists found the true site of the battle only recently.
A trail leads around the battlefield, with information boards along the way. The countryside is peaceful now. It is hard to imagine the violence that took place here.
Each August, the centre holds a re-enactment of the battle, with knights, archers and camps. It is great fun for families. A car is the easiest way to get there, and it combines well with a visit to the Richard III centre in Leicester.
8. Sport in Leicester
Leicester is a great sporting city. In 2016, Leicester City football club won the Premier League against odds of five thousand to one, one of the greatest sporting surprises of all time. The club plays at the King Power Stadium, south of the city centre.
Leicester Tigers are one of the most successful rugby union clubs in England, playing at Welford Road, close to the city centre. Match days are lively. Their supporters are passionate.
Leicestershire County Cricket Club plays at Grace Road. Watching cricket there on a summer’s day is relaxed and enjoyable. The city also has a thriving grassroots sports scene.
Match days bring crowds to the city, and roads around the grounds get busy. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to get to and from the match.
Where to eat and drink
Leicester is one of the best places in Britain for Indian food, especially Gujarati vegetarian cooking. The restaurants along Belgrave Road and Narborough Road serve dishes from across India, and the sweet centres sell colourful sweets and savoury snacks. Many restaurants are family run.
Leicestershire has famous food traditions too. Red Leicester cheese comes from here, and Stilton and Melton Mowbray pork pies come from the east of the county. Walkers crisps are made in Leicester.
Getting there and getting around
Leicester station is a short walk from the city centre, with fast trains to London St Pancras in around an hour and ten minutes, and to Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham. The M1 and M69 pass close to the city.
East Midlands Airport is about twenty miles north west, around half an hour by road. Birmingham Airport is about forty five minutes away. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Leicester and the airports, and to reach Bradgate Park and Bosworth.
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