The English Lake District is one of fifty places worldwide that National Geographic states is a must to visit, and there is no better way to see it than on foot while staying in luxury lake district hotels, or lake district self catering accommodation.

The Great Langdale Valley is situated virtually at the centre of the Lake District National Park. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty where craggy fells and stretches of tranquil waters blend together to create a rugged, mountainous beauty, a landscape which seems to have been moulded by the forces of nature specially for the benefit of walkers. The word Langdale means the long valley and it is one of the busiest valleys in the Lake District due to its popularity with walkers and rock climbers alike. Two of Wainwright’s favourite fells are here in the form of Bowfell and Crinkle Crags, Bowfell amounting to a towering 2690 feet above sea level.

The Langdale valley caters for the needs of all types of walkers ranging from short strolls through to strenuous mountain routes. Walkers will find the topography is unique with placid lakes, tiny tarns, meandering rivers, gushing waterfalls, tranquil woodlands, dense forested areas, sheltered valleys and exposed fells all squeezed together by the violent forces of nature to create a compact countryside of endless variation.

The nearby picturesque village of Ambleside is an ideal base from which walkers can explore the Landgale fells. The village has much to offer including some excellent shops, restaurants, a cinema, lake cruises and a wide range of places to stay - from simple bed and breakfasts to some of the finest hotels in the Lake District.