Hickling Broad Visitor Centre

The visitor centre sits right on the edge of Hickling Broad itself - Norfolk's largest natural freshwater lake - and it's the proper place to get your head around what you're looking at. You can watch the water from the viewing area, spot reed warblers and marsh harriers if you're lucky, and there's usually someone about who actually knows what they're talking about rather than just guessing. The centre explains how the Broads formed and why they matter now, which sounds dull but genuinely helps you understand what makes this corner of Norfolk different.

Birdwatchers and nature photographers will spend hours here. Families with young kids get restless after half an hour unless there's dragonfly spotting to keep them occupied. Walkers use it as a starting point for the footpaths around the broad - the circular routes aren't massive but they're peaceful, which is the whole point.

The real value is combining it with a base at Hickling Campsite just down the road, or Norfolk Broads Country Park if you want something bigger. From here you've got access to the whole network of waterways without the chaos of Wroxham or Horning. Summer weekends pull crowds, but midweek in May or September you'll have the place nearly to yourself.

Admission details and exact opening hours vary - ring ahead before you go, especially if you're making a special trip from Norwich. It's free or very cheap, which is just as well because on a grey day it's more functional than thrilling.