The Lake District of Cumbria in northwest England, a 5½-hour drive from London and two from Liverpool and Manchester, is a mountainous region and national park renowned for its gorgeous scenery - centering around 19 eponymous lakes - as well as its literary associations with a group of 19th-century "Lake Poets" such as William Wordsworth (one of his most famous poems, "Daffodils," was inspired here), Beatrix Potter (of Peter Rabbit fame), and John Ruskin (a highly influential Victorian-era writer, philosopher, and art critic). This distinctly English countrryside is on of rolling pastures, granite hills, and serene villages like Ambleside, Buttermere, Grasmere, and Keswick, with medieval churches, cosy tearooms and eateries, and an appealing cultural scene including interesting art galleries. Grasmere is one of its smaller lakes, and the nearby village of the same name (population around 4,600) is considered one of the prettiest and most historic, where you can visit Wordsworth´s Dove Cottage, (and be sure to sample the famus gingerbread at Sarah Nelson´s Grasmere Gingerbread Shop.

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