World Heritage-listed, tucked within a bowl of seven hills, at the end of the Cotswold Way – in the words of one-time resident Jane Austen, ’Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?’.

The compact centre is best explored on foot – either with your own map or with an expert Bath Walking Tours guide. Begin at the beginning, at the Roman Baths – marvel at the remnants of this Roman complex, constructed around natural hot springs in the first century AD, and now a fascinating museum. You can’t actually swim here though; for that, head to the Thermae Bath Spa, where the heated rooftop pool has one of best views in the city.

Next-door to the Roman Baths is Bath Abbey, founded in the seventh century; stand before its west facade to look up at the soaring stone ladders with their ascending angels and down at the plaque marking the terminus of the Cotswold Way.

From here, weave between the Circus and the Royal Crescent (and seek out the city’s lesser-known crescents too). Visit the Jane Austen Centre, to learn about Regency life in the company of bonnet-and-britches-wearing guides. And admire the collections at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, Victoria Art Gallery and the Holburne Museum, home to works by Gainsborough as well as a sun-trap cafe.

Having refuelled here, or at one of Bath’s many pubs or cafes, consider an active afternoon. Perhaps a scenic round of golf in Victoria Park, just above the Royal Crescent. Or hire a rowing boat, canoe or stand-up paddleboard to explore from river level.

Walkers are spoilt – there’s good ambling in all directions. The Kennet & Avon Canal towpath provides flat, easy strolling (look out for herons and kingfishers) while the more testing Bath Skyline rewards with big, breathtaking views. Or get a taster of the Cotswolds Way via the Cotswolds Circular Walk No. 12: start near the racecourse (easily reached by bus or on foot) and saunter back into the centre along the National Trail, via panoramic Prospect Stile – from here you can see all the way to Wales. The only better vantage is from the basket of a hot-air balloon at sunset, which gives a bird’s eye view of the glowing golden stone.

Overnight in Bath. The five-star Royal Crescent Hotel boasts arguably the best address, in the centre of its namesake curve, but there are many options – see Accommodation, left.

The Cotswolds countryside that embraces Bath makes for the prettiest of outdoor playgrounds. Spend your second day exploring. Head north to Dyrham Park, a Baroque 17th-century pile nestled in ancient parkland (and right on the Cotswold Way); walk amid its mighty trees, look out for its wild deer and treat yourself to scones in the teashop. Alternatively, veer east to historic Corsham, home to free-roaming peacocks, Poldark film crews, a handsome old high street and a network of Heritage Trails, ranging from 6km to 16km.

For more urban-minded adventures, Bristol is on the doorstep – less than 15 minutes by train, or 21km via the traffic-free Bristol-Bath Cycle Path. Bristol was the UK’s first cycle city; it’s also an independent-spirited, eco-focused hub where the old and the innovative merge in creative fashion. Browse its endless indie shops and cafes, and hop aboard the SS Great Britain – Brunel’s ground-breaking transatlantic liner is now a fully immersive museum.

There are plenty of options to tempt cyclists too. Further north into the Cotswolds, take a personal off-road tour of the heart-pumping hills, woodlands and high escarpments of the Woodchester and Stroud valleys with Cotswolds Mountain Biking; routes are tailored to you, with electric mountain bikes available if you’d prefer to ease the strain. Or hook up with Wild Carrot for thrilling Cotswold road rides; trips start from Chavenage’s Elizabethan manor and end at Wild Carrot’s cycle hub, with cake and coffee (or even champagne).

Overnight in Bath or, if you’ve been cycling around Stroud and Chavenage, in Painswick – see Accommodation, left.

Postcard-pretty Painswick sits at the mid-point of the Cotswold Way, at the very heart of the Cotswolds. Which makes it the perfect base for sinking right into this celebrated countryside. Browse Painswick’s cluster of little shops (and rare 17th-century stocks), soothe yourself in the Richmond Painswick spa and marvel at the UK’s only surviving Rococo Garden – horticulture at its most fantastical.

Local walks are plentiful and picturesque, perhaps none more so than those around the Slad Valley – sylvan Cider with Rosie country. Try the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way (10km), pausing at Lee’s old local, The Woolpack, for a pint en route. Or make a loop along a classic section of the Cotswold Way via Circular route No 7, which wends through beech woods to vertiginous Coopers Hill, world epicentre of cheese-rolling. Or how about joining Cotswold Alpaca Walking to stroll in the hills with a woolly companion?

Finish by toasting your mini-adventure in winsome Woodchester. Amble around Woodchester Mansion, an unfinished Gothic Revival masterpiece, maintained in its magnificent incomplete state (there are tours in summer; woodchestermansion.org.uk). Then end at award-winning Woodchester Valley Vineyard – take a tour amid the vines before raising a glass of home-grown fizz to the sweeping Cotswold views.

Overnight in Painswick – see Accommodation, left.