A UK city that has long been the butt of public jokes has now been named one of the best places in the world to visit.
Hull has earned a place on National Geographic’s list of “the best places in the world to travel to in 2026” — the only UK destination to make the cut. Despite proving its cultural credentials as the nation’s City of Culture in 2017, Hull still attracts a disproportionate — and often unfair — number of jibes.
When I lived in York, just 37 miles away across Yorkshire, the snobbery directed towards the city of 267,000 was widespread and rarely hidden. Many of the jokes came from people who had never even set foot in Hull. Had they taken the time to hop on a train and make the hour-long journey from North to East Yorkshire, I’m sure their eyes would’ve been opened.
Back in 2003, a widely publicised book branded Hull as Britain’s most dreadful place to live. The Idler Book of Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK wrote of the city: “No matter what happens to me in later life, no matter where I live, or how bad things are, I will know that it can never, ever be as bad as living in Hull.”
Writing in National Geographic, Lorna Parkes sets the record straight, highlighting just how wrong those old perceptions are — and revealing the many joys that await first-time visitors.
“At the edge of the North Sea, Hull was one of the world’s busiest whaling ports in the 19th century and a fishing and shipping hub until the 20th, before falling on hard times. Over the past decade, the city has undergone significant revitalization,” she writes.
“Warehouses around Humber Street’s old waterside Fruit Market are now lively independent bars, restaurants, and art galleries. There’s also a spectacular performance amphitheatre, called Stage@TheDock, overlooking River Hull where it meets the Humber Estuary; and a former shipyard has for over 20 years been the base for The Deep, one of the United Kingdom’s most highly respected aquariums and marine conservation centres.”
Hull’s transformation is far from over. Next year, a £40 million project celebrating the city’s maritime heritage will be completed. A network of new interpretive sites will bring 800 years of seafaring history to life, including the Hull Maritime Museum, the North End Shipyard two-storey visitors centre, and two permanently docked museum ships: the 1960s Arctic Corsair cod trawler and the Spurn lightship.
A new Maritime Heritage Trail now winds through Hull’s Georgian Old Town, linking green spaces and public artworks inspired by the city’s connection to the sea.
The Express’s Samantha Teasdale visited Hull this summer. “Despite its notorious reputation as the ‘worst place to live’, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the charm of Hull,” she wrote.
“As I meandered through the lively streets under the warm sun, cooled by a gentle breeze, I was delighted I’d made the trip. The sight of pride flags fluttering on numerous buildings added to the allure. The streets were buzzing with chatter, but it wasn’t until I heard the popping of prosecco bottles that I realised why the area was so bustling.
“Graduates in their gowns and hats filled every pub, restaurant, and street corner. Memories of my own graduation brought a smile to my face.”
Samantha’s favourite part of the city was the marina. “There, I unearthed a treasure trove of hidden gems – quaint cafés, charming restaurants and other businesses that you wouldn’t stumble upon unless you dared to venture past the construction works,” she continued.
“Happily perched on a bench by the marina, next to the aquarium, I found myself gazing out at the sea and musing over how Hull seemed rather delightful. Could it really be such a dreadful place to reside?
“Hull has a lot to offer, and while I may not have ventured into the ‘rough parts’, I believe it’s a city that is often misunderstood and is striving to reinvent itself. I’m eager to return.”
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