Windsor Castle

Towering above the town on a steep chalk bluff, Windsor Castle is an undeniably awesome sight, its chilly grey walls, punctuated by mighty medieval bastions, continuing as far as the eye can see. Once there, the small selection of state rooms open to the public are unexciting, though the magnificent St George's Chapel and the chance to see another small selection of the Queen's private art collection make the trip worthwhile. On a fine day, it pays to put aside some time for exploring Windsor Great Park, which stretches for several miles to the south of the castle.

Once inside the castle, it's best to head straight for St George's Chapel (Mon-Sat 10am-4pm), a glorious Perpendicular structure ranking with Henry VII's chapel in Westminster Abbey, and the second most important resting place for royal corpses after the Abbey. Entry is via the south door and a one-way system operates, which brings you out by the Albert Memorial Chapel , built by Henry VII as a burial place for Henry VI, completed by Cardinal Wolsey for his own burial, but eventually converted for Queen Victoria into a High Victorian memorial to her husband, Prince Albert.

The Changing of the Guard takes place at Windsor April-June Mon-Sat at 11am; alternate days the rest of the year.

Before entering the State Apartments, pay a quick visit to Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a palatial micro-residence designed for the wife of George V, and the Gallery , where special exhibitions culled from the Royal Collection are staged. Most visitors just gape in awe at the gilded grandeur of the State Apartments , while the real highlights - the paintings from the Royal Collection that line the walls - are rarely given a second glance. The King's Dressing Room , for example, despite its small size, contains a feast of art treasures, including a dapper Rubens self-portrait, van Dyck's famous triple portrait of Charles I, and The Artist's Mother, a perfectly observed portrait of old age by Rembrandt.

You'd hardly know that Windsor suffered the most devastating fire in its history in 1992, so thorough (and uninspired) has the restoration been in rooms such as St George's Hall . By contrast, the octagonal Lantern Lobby , beyond, is clearly an entirely new room, a safe neo-Gothic design replacing the old chapel. At this point, those visiting during the winter season (Oct-March) are given the privilege of seeing four Semi-State Rooms , created in the 1820s by George IV, and still used in the summer months by the Royal Family.

Most tourists are put off going to Windsor Great Park due to its sheer scale. With the Home Park - including Victoria and Albert's mausoleum of Frogmore - off limits to the public, except for a very few days in each year, visitors can only enter the park via the three-mile Long Walk. Another mile or so to the south is Savill Garden (daily: March-Oct 10am-6pm; Nov-Feb 10am-4pm; £4), a 35-acre patch of woodland that has one of the finest floral displays in and around London.

Daily: March-Oct 9.45am-5.15pm; Nov-Feb 9.45am-4.15pm; £10.50.

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