It may not be enough to bring foot and mouth-shy American tourists back to our part of the world, but York and North Yorkshire get a glowing endorsement in the latest edition of an influential travel guide.

Lonely Planet, known as the backpackers' bible, almost runs out of superlatives in describing the area in its latest British edition, but still manages to roll its eyes at some of our attractions.

The guide, which is out today, says North Yorkshire "contains some of the finest monuments, most beautiful countryside and most spectacular coastline in the country".

And York is a "thriving, fascinating" city with a "bewildering array of things to see and do".

But the Lonely Planet, which is written by and for the independent traveller and to which the term "tourist" is a dirty word, is less than complimentary about York's most photographed street and arguably one of its gems.

It says: "In the heart of York, Shambles hints at what a medieval street might have looked like if it was overrun with people told they have to buy something silly and be back on the tour bus in 15 minutes."

The author - perhaps a disgruntled railway passenger - also takes every opportunity to take a swipe at the form of transport that made York what it is today.

Of the National Railway Museum, the book says: "It focuses on the all-too-distant past when Britain was a leader in railway technology."

And the brief section on York Model Railway says: "It's right next to the station entrance and comprises a huge set-up where, at least in this miniature world, the trains always run on time."

For a series of books which has written about buildings of the pedigree of the Taj Mahal and the Mayan ruins, the praise heaped on Castle Howard is almost overwhelming.

"There are few buildings in the world that are so perfect that their visual impact is almost a physical blow," it says, adding that the main house is "an irresistible visual magnet".

York Minster is described as "Europe's largest cathedral and one of the world's most inspiring buildings."

The section on The World of James Herriot at Thirsk shows the fanatical following the Yorkshire vet has around the world.

"It's quite well done and you'll be in the company of true fans, many of whom have that look of pilgrimage on their faces," it says.

The Cleveland Way, which cuts across the Hambleton Hills and the North York Moors, is described as "unquestionably one of the greatest walks in Britain, showing a cross-section of the best scenery in Yorkshire and a region rich in history, geology and wildlife."

Television pictures of burning livestock carcasses may yet keep the American tourists out of the country, but expect to see a glut of backpacking twenty-somethings in the county anytime soon.

Updated: 10:39 Wednesday, April 25, 2001