Bourton-On-The-Water Overview

Known as the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water feels like an old-fashioned town. The footbridge-straddled River Windrush runs along the main street, giving Bourton the moniker “Venice of the Cotswolds.” The beauty and location of Bourton has made it a popular destination, so expect more tourist traps here than in other villages. The Oxford Way trailhead is here, as is a confluence of other trails, including the Warden’s, Heart of England, Windrush, and Gloucestershire Ways. For a taste of life as a giant, follow signs to The Model Village, a scale model of Bourton built in 1937. (☎01451 820 467. Open daily in summer 10am-5:45pm; in winter 10am-4pm. £2.75.) Birdland, on Rissington Rd., has a motley crew of winged creatures from neon-pink flamingos to penguins. (☎01451 820 480. Open daily Apr.-Oct. 10am-6pm; Nov.-Mar. 10am-4pm. Last entry 1hr. before close. £5.50.) Next door, the Dragonfly maze is the best place to get lost in the Cotswolds. An intricate hedge maze contains a hidden chamber where you must solve a puzzle. Let’s Go could tell you the answer, but then we’d have to kill you. (☎01451 821 794. Open daily 10am-5:30pm, weather permitting. £2.50.) Between rose-laden gates and cobbled streets, the Cotswold Perfumery, on Victoria St., offers a factory tour, but a mere visit to the shop is an olfactory adventure. You can purchase one of the nine fragrances made in the shop or splurge and make your own in a daylong perfumery course. (☎01451 820 698.Open M-Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su 10:30am-5pm. Call to book a tour in advance; usually 1-2 per day. £5, concessions £3.50.)