Canterbury barely needs an introduction – birthplace of Christianity in Britain, seat to the mother church of the worldwide Anglican communion and home to three universities.

Steeped in history, it is popular with tourists the year round, a melting pot of shoppers, students, visitors and residents.

Aside from the world famous Canterbury Cathedral, the city boasts museums including the Beaney and the Roman Museum plus a number of art galleries.

While most visitors walk the cobbled streets, a unique perspective of Canterbury is available via the River Stour which pierces the city centre from west to east.

The Canterbury Historic River Tours offers trips along the Stour at regular intervals from the Kingsbridge where St Peter’s Street meets the High Street. Expert boatmen guides reveal stories of Canterbury not seen from the road as passengers relax on the gentle waters.

While the city’s main shopping precinct is the Whitefriars next to the bus station, Canterbury also boasts independent stores in places such as Palace Street, Northgate and St Peter’s Street.

The 14th century Westgate Towers at the northern end of the city centre stand next to the showpiece Westgate Gardens and lead into St Dunstan’s Street, which is rich with places to eat such as Cafe des Amis and The Refectory.

Don’t miss: Next to the Canterbury West railway station is the Goods Shed. Open every day except Monday, this former goods depot boasts a farmers’ market selling everything from local cheeses, meats and vegetables to fish caught off the east Kent coast. Log on to thegoodsshed.co.uk for more information.

Take time to explore: Walk in any direction off the central shopping street and you will discover myriad narrow streets full of stylish and architecturally interesting buildings plus some surprising oddities. The back streets are also quiet and offer some relief from the bustling city centre.

Best-kept secret: For those spending a night in Canterbury, there’s the award-winning Canterbury Ghost Tour. Run by author and historian John Hippisley, the tour is a 90-minute exploration of the city’s dark side delivered with wit and sophistication. Log on to www.canterburyghosttour.com for more information.

Getting there: Canterbury sits just off the A2 between Faversham and Dover and its bus station is served by services from all directions in east Kent and coaches from London. The city’s West railway station has lines running to Charing Cross and St Pancras in London in one direction and the Thanet towns in the other. The East station runs services between Victoria and Dover.