Saint Albans, United Kingdom

St Albans is an English cathedral city to the north of London, in the county of Hertfordshire. Its rich Roman and Medieval history mean it is much more worth a visit than the typical commuter suburb.

St Albans began in the Iron Age as the Catuvellauni settlement of Verlamio, renamed and developed by the Romans as Verulamium. Burned to the ground by the rebellious Iceni princess Boudicca during her rebellion, it was soon rebuilt. Ruins of portions of the Roman wall, the theatre and a hypocaust can be visited today. A resident of Verulamium named Alban became the first British martyr of Christianity, and thus St Albans became an important abbey and monastic centre in the Middle Ages. The cathedral, founded as the Abbey Church of the monastery on the site, was built partially of stones taken from the old Roman town. After the Reformation St Albans faded from prominence, becoming a typical Home Counties market town. Today it is a well-off suburb, with many workers commuting into London.