Abbey Gate, Bury St Edmunds
_Which is the nicest part of Suffolk
Discover fabulous destinations when you visit Suffolk
Which is the nicest part of Suffolk?
That’s like asking a parent who their favourite child is! Well, there are distinct parts of Suffolk and all are very different so it’s very difficult to say what’s best. All of them are great, depending on what you want to do, and all are great for walking and cycling. So, let’s talk you through them all...
Stand up paddleboarding in the Broads
Broads National Park
The Broads National Park is unlike any other… 125 miles of navigable, lock-free waterways that are best explored by boat. You can hire day boats or take one out for a whole holiday. There are great riverside villages to explore, pubs and restaurants to moor up at, and amazing wildlife to enjoy. It's also the only National Park that was part man-made, the result of inundated medieval peat diggings.
Explore the River Waveney, from Oulton Broad up to Geldeston, by canoe or kayak or let someone else do the work with Waveney River Tour. Beccles is a lovely riverside market town that’s worth exploring.
Thetford Forest
The Brecks
The Brecks is a unique landscape that’s got the best climate in the country. Enjoy walking and cycling in ancient heathland, spotting Deal Rows and Pingoes or red deer, discover market towns such as Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Thetford. Best of all, explore the massive Thetford Forest. Here you’ll have almost 16,000 acres of pines to play in. Head to High Lodge where you’ll find masses of waymarked walking and cycling paths as well as things to do such as archery and Go Ape aerial ropes.
Canoeing on the River Stour
Constable Country
Constable Country is a bucolic gem, rolling countryside along the River Stour that includes Flatford, inspiration for many of John Constable’s most famous paintings. This is a location for mindfulness and relaxation. In the Dedham Vale National landscape, you can arrive by train at Manningtree. Don’t miss Sudbury, where you’ll find the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, now a superb museum, art gallery and modern exhibition space.
Medieval Lavenham
The Wool Towns
The Wool Towns are a wonderful step back in time to when East Anglia was the most prosperous region of the British Isles, the result of the trade in textiles and weaving. Today you’ll find in gently rolling countryside beautifully-preserved market towns with medieval half-timbered houses, guildhalls and magnificent churches.
Ipswich waterfront
The Heart of Suffolk
The Heart of Suffolk has at its core the county town of Ipswich, a waterside community with vibrant bars, cafes and restaurants. Explore further and discover a captivating blend of bustling market towns and unspoilt villages with a rich cultural heritage that provides an authentic taste of East Anglian life. Stowmarket has the nationally-renowned Food Museum, the only one of its kind in the UK, Woodbridge is a riverside gem and close to National Trust Sutton Hoo, and Framlingham is famous for its Norman castle and an Ed Sheeran song.
Seafront Southwold
The Suffolk Coast
The Suffolk Coast is 40 miles of sandy beaches, shingle, low cliffs, estuaries, all within a National Landscape. There are traditional seaside towns Lowestoft and Felixstowe, both with Victorian piers, and also genteel Aldeburgh and Southwold.
Discover the story of Suffolk’s Lost City at Dunwich, Britain’s very own Atlantis, the Peter Pan-inspired Thorpeness, or explore the otherworldly Orford Ness, a throwback to the Cold War, and visit the medieval castle.
Take your pick… you’ll be very welcome in whichever destination you choose.
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