Where the welcome's as warm as the spa

IT was bitterly cold in the biting winds and after hours of sightseeing we were keen to find the quickest and easiest way back to our hotel.

It was a bit cheeky – after all, the beautiful thing about the city of Bath is that traffic is kept to a minimum and everywhere is reached easily by foot.

An answer glided into view – the brightly coloured Bath City Sightseeing tour bus. The welcome is warm in two ways: the interior of the double decker is heated and the uniformed staff are cheerful and friendly.

I'm not really one for guided tours but this was such fun that I'll be looking out for them in future. It was a brilliant way to see the best that Bath has to offer and you can hop on and off all day for around £11 an adult. If you decide to do the tour in one go, it takes around 45 minutes and includes all the familiar Bath landmarks – Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths, Queen Square, the Jane Austen Centre, The Circus and the spectacular Pulteney Bridge.

Negotiating the tiny bridge was impressive. I even breathed in as we approached the crossing over the River Avon.

18th century architect Robert Adam, as our knowledgable guide told us, based his work on Palladio's unused design for the Rialto Bridge in Venice and completed it in 1773. After some Victorian additions and a lot of neglect, it was restored to the impressive structure you see today.

Approaching from the river side it looks every inch like an imposing building spanning the water. It's only when you drive along it that you realise that there is a row of shops, cafes and restaurants on either side. The guide knew exactly when to tell us to "look left" to see the narrowest of shops with a clear view of the river beyond.

With shops like Bang and Olufsen, Orvis and jewellers on Pulteney Bridge it may be the spot for window shopping only, but it's enjoyable just to stroll along and soak up the genteel atmosphere.

And atmosphere is really what Bath is all about. Local people take their roles as custodians of Bath's wonderful 18th century Georgian architecture very seriously indeed.

The entire city has been designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco, putting it on a par with places like Florence and Salzburg. The ubiquitous Bath stone with its warm honey colour links the streets together, best seen in the sweeping arcs of terraced houses in The Circus and the Royal Crescent, and unifies the locale of the city and there are strict rules about what you can and can't do with your home.

Streets signs are uniform and even the local supermarket quietly signals its presence with discreet signage and the same Bath stone cladding.

Bath has been welcoming visitors for 2,000 years – initially attracted by the health-giving properties of the Roman Baths. This is Britain's only hot spring – rising to 46C – and the Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex around it.

The early citizens of Bath must have been as keen on architecture as modern residents because the Roman Baths have been remarkably well preserved. You still get a sense of what it must have been like through the centuries – especially if you get there soon after they open at 9am and avoid the crowds.

At the Baths you can see some of the infrastructure away from the main baths themselves and look at the Roman artefacts found on the site and models of what they would have looked like when they were built.

At the adjacent Pump Room you can actually try the hot spa water at a fountain. It may taste odd to modern palates – probably because it is packed with 43 minerals that gave Bath its reputation as a spa.

The Pump Room is also a good stopping off place for a light lunch, afternoon tea or a cup of coffee (if you were paying attention and took my advice about starting out early).

It's easy to image the writer Jane Austen socialising at the Pump Room. She knew the city as a thriving spa resort. She set two of her six published novels (Northanger Abbey, 1803, and Persuasion, 1817) in Bath.

She also made the city her home between 1801 and 1806 but, sadly, wasn't particularly happy there, finding the society life rather stifling. She preferred the countryside where she grew up and, as a keen walker, liked nothing more than to escape into the country.

Her reported dislike of Bath hasn't stopped local people celebrating her connection with the city – and rightly so. It would be easy to image Jane's heroine in Persuasion, Anne Elliot, walking along the delightfully named Gay Street where the author lived and where the Jane Austen Centre can be found.

Here you can enjoy another informed talk from a live guide – they must breed them in Bath – before exploring the museum, packed with all things Austen.

If you really want to try and capture what Bath was like in Jane Austen's day, join one of the guided walking tours that visits places that she would have known.

But Bath does not rest on its historical laurels, keeping one eye on the past while providing for the modern tourist.

The waters are still bringing visitors to the city and this time it's an ultra modern experience. The Thermae Bath Spa still utilises the mineral-rich waters but in a contemporary building.

You can enjoy sessions in the warm waters and flowing curves of the Minerva Bath or opt for the open-air rooftop pool with spectacular views across the skyline of Bath.

Bath is wonderful to visit for its sense of history, the celebration of architecture and style and the warm welcome of its proud citizens.

I can highly recommend the Visit Bath website. It is packed with up-to-date information on everything to see and do and has lots of special offers including the £3 Bath Visitor Card which gives you lots of discounts. Look out for the First Great Western 2 for 1 offer which offers special deals if you arrive by train before May 31. Go to www.visitbath.co.uk.