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On first impression, LEICESTER is a resolutely modern city, but further inspection reveals traces of its medieval and Roman past, situated immediately to the west of the downtown shopping area, near the River Soar. The Romans, choosing this site in the middle of the territory of the rebellious Coritani, developed Leicester's precursor, Ratae Coritanorum, as a fortified town on the Fosse Way, the military road running from Lincoln to Cirencester, and Emperor Hadrian kitted it out with huge public buildings. Subsequently, in the eighth century, the Danes colonized the town and later still its medieval castle became the base of the earls of Leicester. Since the late seventeenth century, Leicester has been a centre of the hosiery trade and it was this industry that attracted hundreds of Asian immigrants to settle here in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, about one third of Leicester's population is Asian and the city elected the country's first Asian MP, Keith Vaz, in 1987. Leicester's Hindus put on a massive and internationally famous Diwali , Festival of Light, in October or November, while the city's sizeable Afro-Caribbean community celebrates its culture in a whirl of colour and music on the first weekend in August. The latter is the country's second biggest street festival after the Notting Hill Carnival.

On the line from London's St Pancras station, Leicester train station is situated on London Road just to the southeast of the city centre. The bus station is on the north side of the centre, just off Gravel Street. The centre is signed from both - the large Haymarket Centre is an easy landmark. The tourist office is in between the two stations - and a short walk south of the Haymarket - at 7-9 Every St, on Town Hall Square (Mon-Wed & Fri 9am-5.30pm, Thurs 10am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-5pm; tel 0116/299 8888).

With other more enticing cities near at hand - Nottingham is but one - there's no strong reason to overnight here, but Leicester does have a good crop of business hotels close to the centre, within walking distance of the train station.

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