Planning Your Visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon, England

If you are planning a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon your thoughts might immediately turn to William Shakespeare, who was born here in 1564. But, important though he is, there is much more to Stratford than Shakespeare. Whether your taste is for Tudor architecture, historic pubs, or parks and countryside, you will find plenty to occupy yourself on a short break in the city.

Shakespeare is certainly ever-present in Stratford. You can see the places where he lived and studied, watch a play, and picnic beside statues of his most famous characters. A good place to start is at the three properties managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust - these are as much worth visiting for the houses and gardens as for the Shakespeare connection.

If you love the theatre you will be spoilt for choice in Stratford. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, on Waterside, has a regular programme of Shakespeare’s plays. The theatre was refurbished in 2010 to create a three-sided stage of the type that Elizabethan audiences would have been familiar with. (At the time of writing - July 2021 - the Royal Shakespeare Company’s other two theatres, The Swan and The Other Place, are closed.)

There a number of other theatres to choose from in Stratford-upon-Avon. These include the Stratford Playhouse, with a wide range of performances for all tastes, and the smaller and more intimate Bear Pit Theatre. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).