Hereford, on the Wye, was the seat of a bishop as early as the seventh century and was fortified in the Middle Ages, however, nothing remains of this. Hereford is the home of one of the oldest music festivals in Europe, Three Choirs Festival, held every third year in the town. Today the town is the center
of a large and prosperous farming region. Hereford cattle are world famous, and farmers come from all over Europe to the livestock auctions here. It is also noted for its cider, more than half the total English output of cider coming from the district. The city is surrounded by extensive apple orchards and hopfields. To the art-lover Hereford's main attractions are its Cathedral and its "Mappa Mundi", one of the oldest maps of the world in existence.