Imagine bustling towns, picturesque villages and friendly hamlets packed with cottages built from local stone.
Imagine all of this, and you have Derbyshire - a 2018 British Travel award-winning holiday destination. The Peak District and Derbyshire scored third place in the Best Holiday County or Region category – beaten only by Northumberland (gold) and Cornwall (silver) – fending off stiff competition from other key contenders, including Devon, Cumbria and the Lake District, and the Yorkshire Dales.
You can find out more and plan your visit to Derbyshire by visiting Derbyshire's tourism website.
Here are a few attractions to help you plan your visit.
Buxton Crescent
One of the largest historic properties we own - jointly with High Peak Borough Council - is Buxton Crescent.
This Grade I listed building, which had been vacant for 25 years, is among the most architecturally significant in the country and is set to reopen as an 80-bedroom thermal spa hotel this year - the only one of its kind in the North of England.
Derwent Valley Mills
Derwent Valley Mills is a World Heritage Site.
Stretching 15 miles down the river valley from Matlock Bath to Derby, the World Heritage Site contains a fascinating series of historic mill complexes, including some of the world's first 'modern' factories.
Countryside sites
Whether you're looking for an exciting day out with the family or a quiet picnic spot, we offer a variety of countryside sites to fit the bill.
Why not come and explore our country parks, wildlife and amenities (including picnic sites, sites of interest and grasslands), visitor centres, woodland, waterways and wetlands and walks and trails.
Arts and entertainment
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery has a varied and changing programme of exhibitions, events and workshops for all the family throughout the year.
Find out more about what's on in the county's galleries and theatres on the artsderbyshire website.
Leisure and recreation
Our Five Pits Trail is one of Sustrans and The Guardian's 40 best British bike rides.
You can visit the local district and borough council websites for details on parks, leisure centres, swimming pools and car parking across the county.
Shine a Light
We're proud to have brought Shine A Light to even more venues in Derbyshire with large-scale video projections bringing 4 of the counties iconic buildings to life – including our very own Elvaston Castle.
As well as Arkwright's Cromford Mills, the unique night-time displays were shown at Elvaston, Barrow Hill Roundhouse and Hardwick Hall.
Look out for annual community lantern processions in New Mills and Bolsover too featuring new work with the Shine A Light team offering a taste of what's to come.
We work in partnership with the venues to stage the events, which are designed to help boost the local visitor economy.