The Tour de France – one of the world’s most famous cycling races – comes to Yorkshire this summer on 5-6 July. From Leeds to Harrogate on Day One, and York to Sheffield on Day Two, Yorkshire’s towns, cities, villages and dales will be packed with visitors eager to witness the glimmer and glamour of famous wheels speeding by.

A county famous across the globe for its rich and impressive heritage - and now the Tour de France - will see literally thousands of spectators lining the route on the two days the cyclists are ‘in town’, but what will they do once our boys Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish have flown past, onto the next stop of the gruelling 3,664 km route?

You may be surprised to learn that over £450million of Lottery players money has been invested in Yorkshire’s rich heritage since 1994, and over £219m or 49% of that figure is within a three-mile buffer zone of the TDF routes day one and two. These grants have ensured that the stories of this feisty, individual county are preserved and told to future generations.

Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber said: “The Tour de France is hugely exciting for the UK and Yorkshire! We have so much to offer visitors and local communities and we want to ensure people take the opportunity to make the most of their time here for this amazing summer of sport by exploring some of the wonderful heritage on their doorstep.”

[quote=Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber] We have so much to offer visitors and local communities.[/quote]

We have produced a ‘Top heritage attractions guide' to the region for visitors to Yorkshire. Discover a fascinating land of historic great houses and wonderful museums, and industrial architecture, stunning landscapes and communities steeped in history through the project snapshots below.

• Crime and Punishment - Leeds Town Hall
• Chapeltown Road Townscape Heritage Initiative
• City Varieties Music Hall
• Little London Arts Project
• Harewood Explored: Learning and Access Programme
• Ingleborough Dales
• The Making of Mashamshire Family Business
• Royal Hall, Harrogate restoration
• Turkish Baths, Harrogate restoration
• Barley Hall – Learning and Leisure
• York Minster Revealed
• Upper Nidderdale
• Keighley Town Centre
• Jubilee class steam locomotive - 45596 Bahamas
• South Pennines Watershed
• Pennine Horizons
• Greenhead Park
• Shepherd Wheel conservation
• Weston Park
• Revealing the Hidden Dearne Valley

For more information on the Tour de France 2014 route view the Tour de France website.