8 Best Sights in Portsmouth, The South

An on-site museum houses the Mary Rose, the former flagship of Henry VIII's navy and the world's only 16th-century warship on display. Built in this same dockyard more than 500 years ago, the ship sank in the harbor in 1545 and remained there until raised in 1982. In an accompanying exhibition, you can see artifacts retrieved from the seabed ranging from the ship's large guns to personal possessions like surgeon's tools, tankards, bowls, nit combs, and games.

This museum located in a Georgian building used by the Royal Navy to store weapons and ammunition since 1771 explores the history of warfare at sea with interactive touch-screen exhibits on naval armaments, from cannonballs to mines, missiles, torpedoes, and even a decommissioned nuclear bomb. Reached by water bus from the Historic Dockyard, the museum also tells the story of the local people who manufactured the weapons.

Starting at the Spur Redoubt (supposedly the point from which Nelson set sail for Trafalgar) near Clarence Pier in Southsea, the Millennium Promenade follows the waterfront through Old Portsmouth and Gunwharf Quays, ending up at the Hard near the Historic Dockyard. The 4-mile self-guided walk, marked by a rope pattern on the sidewalk, passes a variety of fortifications built in the 13th century, the early 20th century, and everything in between.

With a commanding position over the harbor, this medieval castle is surrounded by what is believed to be the most complete set of Roman walls and the best preserved Roman fort north of the Alps, built in the 3rd century to fend off Saxon pirates. On its completion in the mid-12th century, the castle was appropriated by Henry II and remained a royal residence until the 17th century. From the keep's central tower you can take in sweeping views of the harbor and coastline.

The city's most impressive attraction includes an unrivaled collection of historic ships, including the HMS Warrior (1860), Britain's first iron-clad battleship, as well as the Royal Navy's best-known warship, the HMS Victory which served as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain's most celebrated naval hero at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) and is still the ceremonial flagship of Britain's First Sea Lord. You can inspect the cramped gun decks, visit the cabin where Nelson met his officers, and stand on the spot where he was mortally wounded by a French sniper. There's also an interactive gallery that explores the ship's history and audio guides to take along your visit.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy has extensive exhibits about Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, a fine collection of painted figureheads, and galleries of paintings and mementos recalling naval history from King Alfred to the present. Action Stations, an interactive attraction, gives insight into life in the modern Royal Navy and lets you test your sea legs with tasks such as piloting boats through gales. Boathouse 4 is a training center for traditional boatbuilding skills required to maintain and build wooden boats; it contains an exhibition that explores the role of smaller wooden boats in the Navy's history. HMS M.33 is one of just three British warships from World War I still in existence. You should allow one or two days to tour all the attractions in the Historic Dockyard. The entrance fee includes a boat ride around the harbor, and the all-attractions ticket is valid for one year.

Here you can learn about submarine history and the rigors of life below the waves with the help of family-friendly interactive games. The highlight is a tour of the only surviving World War II submarines in the United Kingdom, the HMS Alliance and the midget-class HMS X24, from the cramped living quarters to the engine rooms. Also on the large site is the first Royal Navy sub, Holland 1, built in 1901, and a Biber, a German WWII midget submarine. From Portsmouth Harbour, take the ferry to Gosport and walk along Millennium Promenade past the huge sundial clock. From April to October, an hourly free water bus runs from the Historic Dockyard.

The focal point of the lively Gunwharf Quays development of shops and bars, the Spinnaker Tower is a striking addition to Portsmouth's skyline. The slender structure evokes a mast with a billowing sail, and rises to a height of 558 feet. An elevator whisks you to three viewing platforms 330 feet high for thrilling all-around views of the harbor and up to 23 miles beyond.

Here three galleries tell the absorbing story of the planning and preparation for the invasion of Europe during WWII and the actual landings on D-Day—June 6, 1944—through an eclectic range of exhibits including maps, uniforms, and even the last surviving actual landing craft tank, as well as filmed testimonies from those who were there. The museum's centerpiece is the Overlord Embroidery ("Overlord" was the invasion's code name), a 272-foot-long embroidered cloth with 34 panels illustrating the history of the operation, from the Battle of Britain in 1940 to victory in Normandy in 1944.