Broads National Park | Visit East of England

No visit to Norfolk is complete without experiencing the Broads unique landscape, its diverse bird and wildlife and its important cultural heritage.

The Broads National Park is made up of over 60 open areas of water known as Broads and seven rivers, the Ant, Bure, Chet, Thurne, Waveney, Wensum and Yare. Uniquely, it is the only National Park to have a city within its boundary, perfect to combine the history and vibrancy of Norwich with a more relaxed and natural environment of the Broads, easily accessibly by the historic Wherry Lines railway from Norwich.

The Broads shallow lakes were dug out in medieval times – the peat removed and used for fuel. For centuries afterwards it was assumed that the broads had been formed by natural processes – their true origins not being discovered until 1952.

A haven for wildlife; despite comprising only 0.1% of the UK, the area boasts more than 25% of its rarest species. The swallowtail, Britain’s largest butterfly, calls the Broads – and only the Broads – home.

Pleasure boating has been part of the way of life in the Broads since the 19th Century and the National Park is still one of Europe’s most popular inland waterways. Book a skippered sailing experience, join a historic Wherry sailing, hire an electric day boat; enjoy a guided kayak or SUP experience to explore the unique wetlands and winding waterways. There are a host of experience providers bringing the stories of the Broads to life.

Look out for the distinctive windmills dotting the landscape. Once used to drain the land, with a few serving to grind corn, many have been restored to their former glory.