Theresa Heskins, artistic director of The New Vic
The Caldon Canal – a little branch of the Trent & Mersey Canal that ends in the middle of the countryside – is a well kept secret. Because it's not a through-route, you're not surrounded by loads of engines like on the more industrial canals, making it a tranquil, beautiful place. There are pubs you can't get to by road and the heritage steam railway runs alongside the canal for part of the way. It's a fantastic place to cycle, walk your dog or just sit in a pub and watch the world go by.
• cuct.org.uk

Gareth Thomas, London Road Bakehouse owner
There's a real ale revival around here and local breweries are doing really well. There's one called the Titanic (the captain of the Titanic was from Stoke-on-Trent) and they do a load of beers with names like Shipwreck. They do tasting tours, too. They've recently taken over a few pubs and transformed them all completely. They've stopped serving the £2.50 pints of Carling and they concentrate on the real ales instead. As a result, the atmosphere in there is fantastic. I really like the Greyhound in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
• Titanic Brewery

Lucy Grove-Hemmings, events organiser
Lichfield has a great festival season. This year it's hosting the first Vintage & Country Gardens Festival at Curborough on 29 June, as well as Lichfield festival from 4-14 July which is a week-long arts festival. The festival atmosphere rubs off everywhere, leading to open-mic nights, cabaret events and all sorts of themed food nights and creative goings on throughout Lichfield.
• Vintage and Country Gardens festival. Lichfield festival

Derrick Gask, producer of Stafford Festival Shakespeare
Shugborough Estate is a lovely place to visit. It has a working farm, historical gardens and the house itself is great. The late Lord Lichfield was a prolific photographer and his private apartments have recently been opened to the public, giving a fascinating insight into his life.
• Shugborough Estate

Laura Allen, editor of Prototype magazine
Recently opened, Spout Coffee Shop in Leek is a brilliant concept. With milkshakes served in milk bottles, and themed rooms with record players, this place is truly retro. They host some great events too, including vintage fairs.
• Spout Coffee Shop

Emma Bridgewater, ceramic designer
It's definitely worth visiting the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent for its Anglo-Saxon hoard and fabulous china collection, as well as the historic displays in the Wedgwood visitor centre and museum.
• The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. Wedgewood Visitor Centre

Emma Attenborough, food blogger
There's a must-visit country pub on the border of Staffordshire and Cheshire called The Crown Inn in Wrinehill. It has open fires, a friendly landlord, real ales and home cooked food of the highest standard. They make the hottest piri piri chicken you could imagine, warning people when they order that it's not for the faint-hearted! In all the places I've lived, from London to Leeds, I've never discovered a better pub.
• The Crown Inn

Ciaran Algar, BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Act of the Year
I have to recommend Trentham Gardens. Our school does a sponsored walk around there every year and it's one of the nicest places in Staffordshire. There are loads of brilliant nature trails you can follow around the gardens and lakes – there's even one you can do barefoot.
• Trentham Gardens