Portsmouth

Portsmouth, the age-old home of the Royal Navy and Britain's second-busiest ferry port after Dover, is best known for its Historic Dockyard and many nautical sights. Visitors can tour an array of Royal Navy ships from many eras, including the HMS Victory, which played a key role in Britain's battles with Napoleon's navy, and see the remains of the Mary Rose, a 16th-century warship that was a favorite of Henry VIII. But the new spirit of Portsmouth is equally worthwhile. Portsmouth seems to expertly balance its dual status as both a city of the past and one of the future.