Hidden gems

You can see more of ancient Chester simply by visiting some shops and eateries. Spud-U-Like in Bridge Street has part of a Roman bath, while Quellyn Roberts on Watergate Street has a 13th-century Norman cellar. Next door, Watergates Bar has a crypt from 1180 - the oldest of Chester's 25 crypts. Around the corner in Bridge Street, Bookland has a beautifully preserved crypt from around 1270.

As for pubs, the Pied Bull and the Blue Bell on Northgate Street are old coaching inns, while the Falcon on the corner of Grosvenor Road and Lower Bridge Street is a finely restored 17th-century building. Further down Bridge Street, the Bear and Billet was originally the 17th-century townhouse of the Earl of Shrewsbury. In Watergate Street, God's Providence House is a finely decorated Renaissance mansion, whose name comes from a carved motto "God's Providence is Mine Inheritance", which commemorates an epidemic of the plague when it was Chester's only house unvisited by infection.

Many of these buildings are in the black-and-white half-timbered style typical of the border towns between England and Wales. But architecturally, Chester's most intriguing feature is the Rows. These are second-storey shops with their own arcaded frontage, thus forming two-tier shops down both sides of Bridge Street and Watergate Street, most of Eastgate Street and part of Northgate Street. The Rows are unique to Chester. Debates about their origin still rage, but experts agree that they are medieval, and local residents know that they are the best place to shop - especially on rainy days.

Indeed, these streets are a shopper's paradise. All the major chains have stores in Chester, and clothes shops maintain high standards. Chester also has local businesses that offer something unique. Watergate Street and Watergate Row are dominated by art and antique shops, some specialising in furniture, others in paintings or maps, and some offering a selection of china, brassware and silver. Lowe's on Bridge Street Row near the Cross has lovely jewellery, much of it antique, and specialises in silver with the Chester hallmark. (The assay office discontinued the hallmark in the 1960s, so Chester silver is now quite valuable. Many rare pieces are displayed in the Grosvenor Museum.)

Nearby Mo-Zi-Mo sells mouthwateringly desirable shoes. Over the street, Bookland is a well-stocked independent bookstore with a wide range of Ordnance Survey and other maps. For Cheshire cheese, go to the Market off the Market Square in Northgate Street or to the Cheese Shop, also on Northgate Street, where you'll find over 200 cheeses, including many made locally.

Kids' day out

If you are travelling with children, or if you simply want to get away from streets, you could return to the Groves to take a boat trip or wander in Grosvenor Park. Even more thrilling, a bus or canal trip to the suburb of Upton brings you to Chester Zoo. Founded in the 1930s, it now houses 7,000 animals and 500 species in large spaces where they can enjoy something like their proper environments. Pinpointing what to see is hard because the zoo is simply huge, but the Miniature Monkeys exhibit is sure to charm and the elephants with their little ones are not to be missed.

A recently opened Dragons in Danger exhibit shows the zoo's komodo dragons. The penguins and seals are ever popular, especially at feeding time, and the bat house, where special lighting lets you see bats in action, is extraordinary - as long as you don't have a Dracula phobia! If you do, stay outside and enjoy the flowers that give the zoo its park-like air.

The zoo, the river, the shops, the museums, the Walls will fill your days in Chester; there is also plenty to keep you entertained at night. Jazz lovers will adore Alexander's in Rufus Court off Northgate Street, where live bands and singers provide some seriously good music. The canalside Telford's Warehouse on Cambrian View is another good venue. Classical music lovers may be able to catch a concert from visiting orchestras and artists in the cathedral. If a play is your thing, the Gateway Theatre off the Market Square has regular offerings.

Indeed, the Market Square is a good place to find out what's on in Chester because the Tourist Information Office, tucked under the Gothic Town Hall, keeps ample supplies of information on happenings, including such events as the Chester Film Festival and the Food and Drink Festival, both in March; the Summer Music Festival from mid-July to mid-August; and the Literature Festival in October.