What overseas visitors should do in Leeds, Yorkshire

Leeds is the biggest city in Yorkshire, but doesn’t appear on too many tourist itineraries. These attractions should be on your radar, however.

Roundhay Park: Head for the gardens

Covering more than 700 acres, Roundhay Park is an absolute monster that veers from sports pitches to adventure playgrounds to squirrel-dotted woodlands. The most charming section, however, is the network of themed gardens.

The Coronation Garden is home to the city’s annual entry to the Chelsea Flower Show, the Alhambra Garden evokes Moorish Spain and the Monet Garden is based on the garden planted by the impressionist painter in Giverny, France.

The Canal Gardens, meanwhile, provides the requisite fix of bubbling fountains.

Tropical World: Enjoy the butterflies

Inside Roundhay Park, Tropical World makes good use of vast greenhouses to bring a someone bizarre flavour of South America. The result is an odd combination of wildlife park, aviary and Aztec-themed aquarium, where visitors go from trying to spot chameleons in the shrubs to marvelling at the colourful butterflies flitting around their heads.

Those wanting more than just cool animals to coo at will end up learning plenty about life in the rainforests as they go round. Avoid school holidays, however, as Tropical World suddenly heaves with families.

The Royal Armouries: Weaponry made surprisingly interesting

The Royal Armouries is the sort of attraction that should be tedious – a big hoard of arms and weaponry, much of it centuries-old. It houses a significant chunk of the National Collection of Arms and Armour, much of which was once kept in the Tower of London.

Mercifully, Leeds’ big name attraction is in a glossy, purpose-built building and isn’t nearly as dusty as it sounds. Videos take visitors through the design of medieval castles, 3D dioramas replay famous battles throughout the ages and a life-size model elephant is kitted up for war. The emphasis on how conflicts play out, rather than just what they’re fought with, rescues the Royal Armouries from a potential nerdish niche.

Leeds City Museum: Ancient worlds and life on earth

The Leeds City Museum is a classic topic-hopping affair with collections built up over the centuries. Where it excels is presentation and interaction. In the Life On Earth section, you can move boats around to discover how the Chinese mitten crab has spread to new continents. And, in the Ancient Worlds section, you can build model temples and try writing your name in the Greek alphabet.

This is by no means a world class cultural institution, but the Leeds City Museum is big, varied and resolutely rejects the old stuff in glass cases model.

Kirkgate Markets: 800-plus stalls and a food court

If you go to Kirkgate Market expecting a souvenir-packed, made-for-tourists experience, then you’re going to be disappointed. If you want a maze of more than 800 stalls, heritage and authenticity, however, you’re in luck.

The Kirkgate Markets first opened in 1822, and Michael Marks who went on to found the Marks and Spencer department stores started with a tiny stall here. The highlight for visitors these days is the newish food court, which covers the gamut from Vietnamese noodles to Turkish kofta wraps.

Headingley: Get Test Match tickets

The Headingley Cricket Ground has played host to many a memorable Ashes match, and it’s the most fun ground in England to watch a cricket game in. That’s partly because the West Stand gets notoriously boisterous and boozy, but it’s also somewhere that a batsman never feels truly set – a wicket could fall at any time. Tickets for Yorkshire games are almost always available at the gate.

The Headingley area is also student central – expect a lively night out in the surrounding bars afterwards.

Queens Hotel: A classic railway hotel

A hulking chunk of art deco, the Queens Hotel is a classic railway hotel – a maze-like behemoth originally designed for weary train travellers that now oozes heritage appeal. It is a place of high teas and weddings, proms and balls.

A recent multi-million pound makeover has brought new life to the once slightly dog-eared rooms – there’s now a more prominent embrace of art deco design touches.

The new Grand Pacific restaurant and bar, meanwhile, looks fit for an Agatha Christie movie.

Kirkstall Abbey: Heritage on the Aire

Kirkstall Abbey, to the north-west of the city centre, is a 12^th century Cistercian monastery surrounded by parkland. It’s a ruin, but one that’s in remarkably good condition, with the soaring archways being catnip for photographers.

Audio tours explain the history and architectural details, while the visitor centre covers what life what have been like for the monks based at the Abbey.

The Abbey Park, on the banks of the River Aire, is a fabulous spot for picnics, too.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Art in the open air

A half hour drive south of Leeds, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on the 18^th century Bretton Hall Estate showcases contemporary sculpture in the great outdoors. Works from the likes of Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, James Turrell and Damien Hirst are spread throughout the grounds.

There’s a 100-plus mix of long and short-term loans, plus site specific commissions, which turn a long walk in the countryside into an art appreciation class. Not many art museums combine giant sculptures with roaming sheep, but the Yorkshire Sculpture Park pulls it off.

More Yorkshire travel

Other Yorkshire travel articles on Planet Whitley include:

• Why overseas tourists shouldn’t miss out on visiting Yorkshire.
• Do I need to book York Dungeon tickets in advance?
• The National Railway Museum in York: A parking guide.
• What first time visitors need to know about visiting Whitby Abbey.
• A practical guide to visiting the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.