The word "dale" is a very old word and means valley. The Yorkshire Dales is an area (mainly in North Yorkshire) of river valleys and gently rolling hills. To all intents and purposes the Yorkshire Dales are largely synonymous with the Yorkshire Dales National Park - an area of particular beauty, and the ideal place for a holiday, or a weekend break.
Most of the Dales are named after the rivers running through the valleys, as in Swaledale, Teesdale, Arkengarthdale (from the Arkle Beck).
As well as superb countryside, the Dales are dotted with beautiful towns, and delightful villages - some of them redolent of a bygone age - and all with a charm of their own.
The Dales are known for sheep-farming, and arts and crafts - from rope-making to glass-blowing, from cheese-making (including, of course, Wensleydale) to home-made ice-creams.
As well as walking the hills and alongside the many rivers and becks that meander through the landscape, there are many other things to see and do, including caving, horse-riding, canoeing, mountain biking, or visiting places such as Ripon, Richmond, and Harrogate which lie on the edge of the Dales.
Interesting fact: the German equivalent to the word "dale" is "Tal" - and the word Neanderthal comes from Neandertal - or Neander dale - where the bones of Neanderthals were first found.
In addition to Yorkshire Dales tourist information, check the latest Yorkshire Dales events on the Hello Yorkshire blog, and if you need public transport information for the Yorkshire Dales, check out www.dalesbus.org.
White Scar Cave, Ingleton
Black Sheep Brewery, Masham
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Gardens, Ripon
Newby Hall & Gardens, Skelton-on-Ure
Balloon Flights
Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale
Bradford Industrial Museum
Brimham Rocks, Summerbridge
Brönte Parsonage, Haworth
Brymor Ice Cream Parlour, Jervaulx High Farm
Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley
Craven Museum, Skipton
Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes
Dales Visitor Centre, Grassington
Easby Abbey, Richmond
East Riddlesden Hall
Embsay-Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
Focus on Felt, Hardraw
Forbidden Corner, Middleham
Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
Green Howards Museum, Richmond
Hazel Brow Farm Visitor Centre (Low Row, near Reeth)
Hazel Smith Gallery, Reeth
Hesketh Farm Park, Bolton Abbey
Ilkley Moor
Ingleborough Cave, Clapham
Jervaulx Abbey
Keighley Worth Valley Railway
Kilnsey Crag, Wharfedale
Kilnsey Trekking & Riding Centre
Knaresborough Castle & Courthouse Museum
Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Skipton
Leeds-Settle-Carlisle Railway Line, Garsdale
Lightwater Valley
Malham Cove & Tarn
Markenfield Hall, Ripon
Mart Theatre, Skipton
Masham Steam Engine and Fair Organ Rally
Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate
Mother Shipton's Cave, Knaresborough
National Media Museum, Bradford
Norton Conyers, Wath, Ripon
Pateley Bridge
Pump Room, Harrogate
Reeth Dales Centre Studios
RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, Harrogate
Ribblehead Viaduct
Richmond Castle, Richmond
Richmondshire Museum, Richmond
Ripon Canal and Marina
Royal Baths, Harrogate
Saltaire Model Village
Settle Carlisle Railway
Skipton Little Theatre
Skipton Woods
St Robert's Cave, Knaresborough
Stef's Models, Reeth
Stump Cross Caverns, Greenhow
Swaledale Folk Museum, Reeth
Swaledale Woollens ( Muker, Kiplin)
The Cat Pottery, West Burton
The Gallery, Masham
The Hawes Ropemaker, Hawes
Theakstons Brewery, Masham
Thornborough Henges, Thorborough
Thorp Perrow Arboretum, Thorp Perrow, Bedale
Three Peaks: Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside
Upper Wharfedale Folk Museum, Grassington
Uredale Glass, Masham
Valley Gardens, Harrogate
Wensleydale Creamery, Hawes
Wensleydale Pottery, Hawes