Bradford has been given a massive boost by a new guide to the best tourist sites in Britain.

While other popular visitor hotspots such as York, Ambleside and Oxford have been given the cold shoulder by the new Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain, Bradford has received the thumbs up from its team of roving reporters.

Where Land's End is criticised as "a triumph of crass commercialism over culture," and York as, "overrun with people told to buy something silly and be back on the tour bus in 15 minutes." Bradford has been highlighted as an attractive place to stay.

The guide states that although the city lost its way after the Second World War it has now been revitalised.

It states: "Until World War Two Bradford was the uncontested capital of the world wool trade. After that the industry collapsed, leaving the city struggling to find a new role. Since the 1960s over 60,000 Indians and Pakistanis have settled here and helped reinvigorate the city.

"Some people come to Bradford for its famous curry houses and others for the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. However, most are passing through on their way to Saltaire, Haworth or the Dales."

The guide singles out Bradford's NMPFT, The Colour Museum, and historic Undercliffe Cemetery as places of exceptional interest.

It states that the NMPFT, "is a large and well-funded operation. This is a great place where, as well as learning about the history of photography, you can try out lots of video and graphics technology and play at being a TV newsreader or camera person."

It adds: "The wonderful Undercliffe Cemetery has Britain's best collection of Victorian funerary art."

Saltaire and its founder Victorian mill owner Sir Titus Salt also comes in for high praise.

"Well worth a visit is the village of Saltaire... some three miles north of Bradford. If nothing else, Salt created a gem of a village, which is built from the local honey-coloured stone to neo-Italianate designs."

NMPFT spokesman Dean Loughran, said: "It's terrific that Bradford is getting the international recognition is deserves. It's ironic that people in America and Australia buying this book will have a more accurate picture of what Bradford is like than their London counterparts."

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Bradford Council's tourism spokesman, said: "I am delighted at the excellent review the Bradford district has received in this guide. It is good to see that our local attractions are being given the type of coverage they deserve.

"It is important that Bradford is featured as a good place to visit in guides like these, especially now that we are vying for European Capital of Culture status. We have a great deal to offer throughout the district with places like Saltaire, Ilkley and Haworth as well as attractions in the city centre."

Bradford - City of Culture