In my opinion, Keswick is the ideal base for exploring the northern Lake District. It certainly gives off a relaxed small-town vibe, but at the same time it has everything that you’d want after a day on the fells.

There are tons of restaurants, cafés and pubs plus great bus connections to most parts of the Lake District and beyond. Hiking is of course the most popular activity in the area, but the town itself also has a few interesting sights to check out when the weather isn’t all that great.

And even if the sun is shining, and you just want a break from climbing the fells, there are some cool destinations surrounding the town, which can be reached by a short bus ride or walk. We’ve based ourselves in Keswick twice for longer stays now, so I feel like I know the area quite well. Here’s my list of the 15 best things to do in and around Keswick.

This post may contain affiliate links, and I might earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more info, click here.

15 Fantastic Things to Do in and Around Keswick, UK

Keswick Museum

Keswick Museum is housed in a beautiful wooden building on Station Rd. north of the Greta River. There are some interesting exhibits on local history. Our favourite dealt with the wacky naval battles that were enacted on Derwentwater by the local eccentric Joseph Pocklington.

Other displays focus on famous people with a connection to Keswick, like Beatrix Potter and Robert Southey.

There are also some unusual objects, including a mummified cat and the ‘Musical Stones of Skiddaw‘, which is a huge xylophone made from local rocks that you’re actually allowed to play (Stefanie did it much better than me).

We spent about an hour here and liked both the exhibits and how enthusiastic the friendly staff were. The museum is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Double-check the times here. The entrance fee is £8.50.

The Market Square and Moot Hall

Keswick’s central square is surrounded by little shops, cafés, and historic houses. The most important building here is the early 19th-century moot hall, which stands in the centre of the square.

If you come here on Saturdays, there’s a weekly market where you can buy some cheap snacks for a hike (or without a reason, I’m not judging).

The Derwent Pencil Museum

Full disclosure: We came here on a rainy day, expecting a wacky tourist trap in the ‘biggest-ball-of-yarn’ fashion, but we were amazed to find an actually engaging museum, which retraces this fascinating local industry.

There are interesting displays on graphite smuggling (as we learned, this is actually where the term ‘Black Market’ comes from) and WWII Spy Pencils, that seem to come straight out of a Bond movie. As a matter of fact, their creator Charles Fraser-Smith was the inspiration for Q, Bond’s master of gadgets.

There’s also a recreated graphite mine, and if you actually came here for a dose of tackiness, you’ll be delighted to hear that the museum is also home to the world’s largest coloured pencil.

The opening times differ depending on the season. You can check the current ones here. The entrance fee is £6.65.

St. John’s Church

St. John’s may only date back to the 19th century, but with its stunning Neo-Gothic design, we still found it to be Keswick’s most impressive church. The inside is rather austere by contrast, but the pretty stained-glass windows are still worth checking out.

The cemetery surrounding the church is home to the grave of the early 20th-century novelist Hugh Walpole, whose Herries Chronicle Series is set around Derwentwater.

The Puzzling Place

The Puzzling Place is a Museum of (mostly optical) illusions. It’s a bit tacky, but still a good place to spend an hour or so on a rainy afternoon, which is exactly what we did.

There are lots of interactive displays and some great photo opportunities. There are also explanations on how the illusions work, so you’ll actually learn something in the process.

The place was packed when we were there. It’s best to book ahead on their website, where you can also check the current opening times. The entrance fee is £4.75. The museum is right around the corner from Keswick’s market square in the Museum Square Passage.

Theatre by the Lake

If you’re a fan of live performances, the Theatre by the Lake is the place to go. It hosts all kinds of plays and shows, as well as the annual Words by the Water literary festival.

To be honest, we didn’t have the chance to see a performance here yet, but we’re looking forward to catch a play on our next visit.

Have a Pint in one of Keswick’s Many Pubs

You can’t throw a rock in Keswick without hitting a cozy pub. Some of our favourite places in town are The Wainwright, The Pack Horse Inn and The Dog and Gun, but there are loads more to check out.

While you’re in town, I recommend trying a few regional specialities, like Cumberland Sausage, and having some Lake District beers, like Fell Walker Pale Ale or Bluebird Bitter.

Hope Park and Crow Park

Hope Park is a cute little green space by the Lake on the northern shore of Derwentwater (close to the theatre) that is full of well-kept flower beds. We just had a stroll here, but there are also cafés, mini-golf courses and a pond with remote controlled boats.

Nearby Crow Park is more of a big meadow than a proper park, but as it overlooks Derwentwater, we found it a great place to sit down and watch the world go by for a while.

Alhambra Cinema

The Alhambra Cinema opened in 1913 and is one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the UK. It has a super ornate interior, and exudes a real old-timey charm, which is quite nice for film buffs like us.

I think it would be the perfect setting to see some classic movies from the 30s and 40s, but it mainly shows current Hollywood blockbusters (we saw the latest Mission Impossible when we were here last).

Strolling Along Derwentwater Lake

Beautiful Derwentwater is definitely one of my favourite lakes in the Lake District, and that means some tough competition. It’s dotted by small islands, some of which you can visit by renting a stand-up-paddleboard, kayak or motorboat (others are privately owned, so make sure to check beforehand).

If you don’t feel like navigating the lake yourself, you can take a trip across Derwentwater with Keswick Launch Cruises or simply take a stroll along its pretty shores.

One of the nicest places here is Friar’s Crag on the north-eastern shore, from where you have a great view of the lake and the surrounding mountains, including the Catbells on its western side. The viewpoint is an easy ten-minute stroll from Keswick’s Crow Park.

Threlkeld Railway Trail

This gentle 5km (3mi.) long walking trail follows the path of the old Keswick to Penrith railway line. Along the way, there are some nice views of the Greta River and its surroundings. There are also plenty of signboards, which helped us learn about the history of Keswick and the railroad.

The trail starts at Keswick’s old train station near Keswick Museum and ends up in the tiny village of Threlkeld, from where you can catch a bus back to Keswick (although I recommend taking a detour to the Threlkeld Quarry Museum first).

Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum

Instead of directly returning to Keswick after your hike along the Threlkeld Railway Trail, you could check out the Threlkeld Quarry Museum to learn a little something about the history of the local mining industry.

The old granite quarry is filled with tons of old machinery and mining equipment and there’s a small museum, which is crammed to the rafters with objects and signboards. You can also can ride a small diesel train into the quarry, where the volunteer staff will explain some of the history of the place.

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Double-check the times here. While the entrance fee is a bit steep at £9, we still found it to be worth it to learn something about the importance of this local industry.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

The Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the Lake District’s most iconic ancient sites. Dating to the turn of the 3rd millennium BCE, its original purpose, like with so many Megalithic monuments, can’t be fully grasped.

Interpretations span a range from ceremonial sites to astronomical observatories to gathering places. In reality, it’s very likely these circles were multifunctional.

As an archaeologist, I have a certain predilection for places like this, but I think Castlerigg will be interesting to the layperson, too. The arranged monoliths themselves are quite an impressive sight and set against the backdrop of the Hellvellyn and Blencathra Mountain ranges, the circle certainly makes for an atmospheric visit.

The Stone Circle sits about 2.5km or 1.5 mi. east of the town centre. To get here, follow Penrith Road east out of town and turn right onto Eleven Trees Road before the slip road to the A66. There’s no entrance fee and the Stone Circle can be visited around the clock.

Whinlatter Forest

England’s only mountain forest has countless well-maintained trails leading to some stunning viewpoints, and you can also rent mountain bikes to explore the Forest on two wheels. There’s a small visitor centre with information on the local fauna and a café, should you feel peckish.

We decided to hike the 7.5km (4.5mi.) Wow Trail, which we found to be a great introduction to the area. It goes past a nature station, where we managed to spot some Red Squirrels and plenty of birds, and it also leads to the fantastic Red Crag Viewpoint, which has great vistas of Bassenthwaite Lake and the Keswick area.

Afterwards, we tacked on the short but pretty Revelin Moss Trail, because we still had some time until our bus arrived.

To reach Whinlatter Forest from Keswick, take Bus 77 and return by Bus 77e. Be prepared to wait a little for the latter, especially in the summer, as it reaches the Forest after navigating the narrow roads of the Buttermere Valley, so it might be a little behind schedule.

Strap on Your Hiking Boots

Let’s face it: The real reason you came to the area is to tackle some fells, right? There’s no shortage of amazing hikes around Keswick, from easier options like Catbells and Walla Crag to more demanding day hikes, like Skiddaw.

Check out my guide to the best hikes in the area here.

How to Get to Keswick and Away

Keswick has regular bus connections to other places in the Lake District, like Grasmere and Windermere (Bus 555) as well as from towns just beyond the border of the National Park, like Cockermouth and Penrith (Bus X4 and X5). Check this site for schedules and connections.

Where to Go next

Chorley, a great base for exploring the West Pennine Moors

Blackpool, The UK’s Most Famous Seaside Resort