A SURPRISING choice has seen an often-ridiculed city named as the country's most underrated.
However the number of attractions nearby show that it has plenty to offer for tourists and visitors, who may be put off by its reputation.
Milton Keynes was named as one of the 50 worst places to live in the UK, following a poll conducted this year by website ilivehere.
One local who voted for it to take top spot described it as "a dismal commuter town" saying they "loathe the place with a fiery passion.
Despite that, holiday home site Independent Cottages see things differently, putting it right at the top of their list of underrated UK cities.
In research they conducted, they considered how many guidebooks had been written about UK cities, then compared those numbers with how many attractions were nearby.
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With precisely zero guides written about Milton Keynes seemed like an obvious candidate to take the crown, with some top-rated UK attractions in the city.
Among those is Snozone, which picked up a 2023 TripAdvisor travellers' choice award.
The indoor ski slope is a place where people can learn to ski or snowboard on real snow, without having to trek up a mountain to visit a pricey ski resort.
The slope's website claims to have taught more than three million people how to ski or snowboard so far.
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It has thousands of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, with one writing: "Fantastic experience today! I completed a beginners ski course, amazing value for money, great teaching style and attention for all abilities in the group."
It's far from the only famous attraction in the city however, with the home of the World War II codebreakers, Bletchley Park, another travellers' choice award-winning attraction to visit.
The English country estate is best known for housing British Intelligence teams throughout the war, where they worked tirelessly to decrypt German communications, most famously the Enigma Code.
Their efforts probably shortened the war by at least a couple of years and certainly aided the Allied victory.
Like Snozone, thousands have given it top marks on TripAdvisor, with some describing it as "fascinating" and "worth every penny".
One wrote: "Spent nearly five hours here without realising that time had passed.
"Thought I knew a fair bit about what happened at Bletchley from reading books but still learned a huge amount on top.
"Overall worth every penny and will definitely be back."
The National Museum of Computing and the Milton Keynes Museum, where the town's famous concrete cows can now be seen, show more of the city's heritage, while Willen Lake and the Centre: MK offer walks and shopping to visitors.
Families can also visit Woburn Abbey, a country estate with landscaped gardens and a deer park, while even more animals can be seen at the nearby Woburn safari park.
Sun Online Travel journalist Hope Brotherton is a big fan of Milton Keynes.
She said: "Who doesn't love an underrated city? I've known plenty of people over the years who've skipped past Milton Keynes, but I wouldn't be so hasty.
"The city centre is somewhat of a shopping haven – and a great place to do some Christmas shopping. It's also a great hub for exploring other nearby attractions like Bletchley Park.
"Later this year, I'll be heading back to Milton Keynes for a spot of snowboarding inside Snozone, and I, for one, can't wait."
A night for two in Milton Keynes can be booked from ยฃ48.
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Meanwhile, this underrated city has three beaches and the cheapest pints in the country.
And this unsung UK destination is home to Gordon Ramsay's favourite curry house.
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