CITY dwellers and visitors are being invited to feast their eyes on the UK’s first urban picnic guide for inspiration on where to eat outdoors in and around York.

The guide has been created to celebrate National Picnic Week, which starts on Monday, and features both indoor and outdoor sites including a medieval graveyard, the city’s medieval walls, the National Railway Museum and the chance to picnic 200ft in the air, overlooking the city on the York Wheel.

Picnickers are also being asked to share their favourite urban picnic spots via facebook.com/visityork and Twitter.

Tourism organisation Visit York has developed the online guide to illustrate locations for people in the city.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, said: ‘While traditionally enjoyed in the countryside, our new urban picnic guide offers visitors a choice of venues to picnic right in the heart of – and even high above – our historic city-scape. Research shows that in the UK, one in five people worry about the weather ruining their planned picnic, so the guide also includes wet weather options for fair-weather picnickers.”

Chosen sites provide views across the river Ouse, towards the iconic York Minster from the city walls, an aerial view of the whole city, and secluded and off-the- beaten track places such as a medieval graveyard. Visitor attractions in the area, such as the National Railway Museum and Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, also provide dedicated picnic areas if the weather turns foul.

Mrs Cruddas said: “For those whose picnic preparation isn’t quite up to scratch, York is living up to its TripAdvisor award of Best UK Gastro Destination, with quite literally an explosion of new delicatessens, restaurants and food outlets, all offering Yorkshire fare for the perfect pack-up.”

Download Visit York’s National Picnic Week Urban Picnic Guide from the See & Do section of its website at visityork.org