"Wilderness close to urban sprawls" Peak District National Park by Sjalen

The name of this national park and area says it all: the Peak District. The southern end of the Pennine hills that run like a backbone through the north of England, this is an area which look a lot like the more northern Yorkshire landscape but with some major exceptions, one being the existance of beech forests here which give a great softness to the craggy peaklands.

I have only been to a daytrip around the park, and therefore this page is one of my smallest. Nevertheless, I wanted to say something about it as it is quite overlooked by foreign tourists. It is much more popular amongst people from the cities that surround it, such as Stoke, Stafford, Derby, Sheffield, Manchester and so on. Despite this, you can always find your own corner, especially if you go trekking on the high fells or visit the more unknown villages. In fact, do not underestimate the wilderness here. Manchester may be close but here you need to follow the weather reports if you go walking on your own. The hills are higher than they seem and have their own micro climate.

The picture here shows Castleton, which you can read a tiny bit more about on its page, but if you want a really good base in the area, head for pretty Bakewell with more services and a nice little stream running through it. I only passed by and am set on returning one day to explore it! I would also love to see more of the park itself, preferrably in May when fluffy lambs dot the fields everywhere.

• Pros:very scenic, nice villages
• Cons:bad public transport
• In a nutshell:The England you imagine