Much of this tidy northern English city, which began life as a Roman settlement in about AD70, is dedicated to the business of separating visitors and their cash, but nowhere more quaintly than in postcard-perfect The Shambles (below right), a cobbled street at the centre of the original walled city. Its name reflects the haphazard architecture of forward-leaning, low-ceilinged, wooden-beamed shops that were butchers' premises in the 15th century. Collectables (9 The Shambles, tel: 44 0 1904 632 059) is typical of the string of quality gift, souvenir and homeware shops that lines the street. Yorkshire pottery and decorative mementos start at about #5 (HK$75).

Behind The Shambles is Newgate Market, the tiny brick buildings of which surround a small square, once the location of a slaughterhouse. The stalls at its centre sell dairy produce and meat from the Yorkshire Dales and fresh seafood from England's east coast. Should you be in York on the 29th of any month, visit the York Farmer's Market, in Parliament Street. High-quality edibles include smoked salmon from celebrated firm Hebden's of Whitby, dressed crab at #3 a pack and Bob Hirst Yorkshire Honey, which costs #2 for a small jar and #8 for a fresh honeycomb.

Mainstream and brand-name shops make their presence felt on central thoroughfare Stonegate and its surrounding streets, where clothes stores such as The Gap and Hobbs, and skincare and spa-product specialists Molton Brown can be found. Borders bookshop (tel: 44 0 1904 653 300; www.