York Fine Arts

The York Fine Arts gallery sits in the heart of York itself, and it's the sort of place you'll either stumble upon by accident or visit on purpose if you're after proper contemporary art away from the tourist crush of the Minster. Inside you'll find rotating exhibitions spanning painting, sculpture, photography and installations - the kind of work that makes you pause rather than just walk past. It's intimate rather than grand, which means you won't spend three hours wandering about feeling overwhelmed.

Art lovers and anyone bored stiff by another medieval church will get the most from it. Families with teenagers keen on visual culture will find it worth an hour or so. Young children might fidget unless there's something particularly engaging on display that week.

The gallery tends to be quieter than York's bigger museums, which is actually rather nice if you want to look at work without elbows in your ribs. It's free to enter as far as we can tell, though opening hours aren't publicly listed online - ring ahead before you go.

If you're staying at Nurseries Caravan Park or Wagtail Park nearby, both just a few miles out, the gallery makes a natural addition to a cultural day in York. Hit it in the morning before the city centre gets rammed, then wander down to the river or grab lunch in one of the decent cafes round about. It won't be the highlight of your holiday, but it's a solid alternative to yet another heritage site.