People living in Herts have until Tuesday to bid for the chance to visit some of the county’s best tourist attractions free of charge during a ‘Big Weekend’ in March.

Attractions that have donated free tickets include Knebworth House, Hitchin Lavender, Stotfold Watermill, Royston Cave and the British Schools Museum.

The ‘Big Weekend’ will be on March 12 and 13. Anyone living in Herts and aged 18 or over can apply for two tickets to any of the participating attractions. Some family tickets are also available.

David Curtis-Brignell, joint project manager of Visit Herts, said: “The Big Weekend is a fantastic way to kick-start the tourist season, but it’s also a great way to reward Hertfordshire’s residents with a great day out – for free.

“It really is as good it sounds – residents can bid for free tickets at www.hertsbigweekend.co.uk until Tuesday.

“The winners are selected by ballot so there’s plenty of reasons to bid for as many different attractions and activities as possible. You never know what you might win, and how much fun you could be having on March 12 and 13!”

Some tickets have been set aside for the Family Holiday Association, which gives hard-up families free days out.

The Big Weekend is planned to be the first in a series of Visit Herts campaigns, and is also part of the national English Tourism Week, organised by VisitEngland.

Visit hertsbigweekend.co.uk for more details, and a list of all the attractions offering tickets.