Cornwall really has emerged as one of the must-visit destinations for foreign tourists over the past decade with its ancient moorlands, beautiful countryside and stunning coastline.  However Brits are also flocking to the county, including some of the UK’s top chefs who have launched a number of outstanding restaurants here too.  As well as surfers, sailors and walkers, Cornwall is also home to a large art community – the largest in the UK outside of London – all who are inspired by the history, the natural beauty and the special light associated with the county.  Cornwall hot air balloon rides provide the perfect opportunity to view many of the county’s landmarks from a completely new perspective – or more specifically from anything up to 5,000 feet.

A good place to start is Launceston, the ancient capital of Cornwall. Flanked by rugged Bodmin Moor, the Atlantic Coast, Dartmoor and the River Tamar it is considered an area of considerable beauty and charm. It is the only walled town in Cornwall and boasts much ancient architecture and historical features so a fantastic place to experience a balloon flight.  Get the camera ready for shots of the 16th Century Church of St. Mary Magdalene which has one of the most lavishly carved exteriors of any church in England. You might see the distinctive Southgate arch if you drift over the town and down below you could see the Town Hall with its fine clock or the Town Square with its surrounding narrow streets where Georgian houses stand in splendid array. Launceston Priory (founded in 1126 by the then Bishop of Exeter) lies below and to the north of the town alongside the River Kensey, where people may still cross by the ancient Clapper Bridge.

Dependent on the direction that the wind takes you, you may also get to see the Launceston Steam Railway which runs for several miles to the hamlet of Newmills.

Before or after your trip, Launceston is a wonderful place to explore on foot with its narrow streets, market square and a range of shops to rival many larger towns, but still retaining its traditional atmosphere.

An equally panoramic launch site is Liskeard which is found draped about a gently steeped hill, flanked on all sides by beautiful, rolling Cornish countryside. The town is within easy reach of the hidden coves of Southern Cornwall and to the North is the windswept Bodmin Moor with its breathtaking heathland and moorland.

The town has its own part-Norman Church of St Martin, the second largest church in the county and today the town of Liskeard is a thriving, bustling market town. Mining featured heavily in the town’s development with a canal being built in the 1820s to carry ore to the town of Looe.  This was later superseded by a railway line.

If fortunate during your flight, to pass low and slow over the town it is possible to see buildings of all styles and ages radiating out from the town’s central square. These include Stuart House which was used as a lodging in 1644 for Charles I, The Guildhall with its prominent clock tower and Webb’s House – Formerly Webb’s Hotel – a classic early Victorian market-town hotel featuring in royal visits, parliamentary declarations and much more but recently converted into flats and is the home of the local newspaper The Cornish Times.

South west of Liskeard lies the picturesque coastal town of Fowey where once the author, Daphne du Maurrier, drawn to the natural beauty of the region, lived and wrote. In a more southerly direction are found a wealth of typically quaint fishing villages such as Polperro and Looe.

For more information on ballooning in Cornwall visit Virgin Balloon Flights – the leading hot air balloon rides company in the world with the largest passenger carrying balloons in the UK.

Originally posted here: Hot Air Balloon Flights Across Cornwall