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The Birmingham Travel Guide takes you to Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK after London the city has been subject to a huge redevelopment and refurbishment programme in recent years. Birmingham has a good selection of museums, exhibition spaces and sports venues and galleries for visitors to enjoy.



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Birmingham Guide

Overview and Attractions
Birmingham Hotels
Birmingham Map
Birmingham Local Search
Birmingham Weather
Low Cost Flights



Overview and Attractions

Birmingham played a major role in the industrial revolution and prior to this period the Bull Ring, played host to open-air and covered markets and the Bull Ring has been at the centre of the city since. The Bull Ring is now one of the largest and most comprehensive shopping complexes in Europe.

Birmingham has a famous Jewellery Quarter where visitors can find a community of jewellers, the area is famed for jewellery since 18th century when goldsmiths and jewellers set up their businesses in the area. The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is in a former workshop of the Smith & Pepper factory, it makes for an interesting visit especially for jewellery fans. For those that love shopping Birmingham offers a blend of arcades, malls, friendly markets and the Jewellery Quarter. There are plenty of places to shop, leading to refer it as the regional shopping capital and a retail haven.

Central to the shopping experience in Birmingham is the Bullring. It’s Birmingham’s largest shopping destination and provides one of the most comprehensive shopping experiences you could wish to have. The Bullring has more than 26 football pitches worth of shops, boutiques and restaurants in the centre of the city. There are a huge variety of shops here, to suit all tastes and budgets, whatever your interest. It has become a favoured place not only to shop but to meet up with friends and to eat. It has helped to regenerated some of Birmingham’s traditional streets in to a place that is now modern and thriving. The public transport has been updated around it, the Bullring marks a renaissance in the centre of Birmingham. With an impressive mix of historic buildings and contemporary architecture, the Bullring is the face of the new Birmingham. For further information please see:

Bullring Birmingham

Aston Hall is a Grade 1 listed building, Aston Hall was built between 1618 and 1635 for Sir Thomas Holte. In 1643 the house became damaged in an attack by Parliamentary troops, the scars left by the cannon-shot can still be viewed on its Great Stairs. The house is now displayed as a series of period rooms containing paintings, textiles, furniture and metal work from the collections of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Aston Hall by Candlelight is a bi-annual event which takes place on the mansion. Here over 500 candles light the building each night with actors recreating the 17th Century Christmas festivities. For more information please see:

Aston Hall

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has been established for over 100 years, the museum and art gallery has gained a good reputation and now has artworks and artefacts that are considered world class. There is a huge collection here to admire and contains everything from Renaissance era masterpieces to Middle-Eastern treasures 1,000s of years old. The Museum is most admired for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings and drawings, the museum boasts one of the largest collections in the world. You will also find Bronze Buddhas and Egyptian Mummies in this diverse place. The collections include fine art from the 14th century, ceramics, metalwork and historic collections, including local archaeology. There is also the wonderful Edwardian Tea Room and its sumptuous cakes and a year-round programme of activities and temporary exhibitions. For more information please see:

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Thinktank is made up of ten themed galleries of interactive, informative exhibits, it is Birmingham’s science museum. This is a modern museum where you can investigate locomotives to aircraft to taste buds, it Combines science and entertainment and has something for just about everyone. Kids City is Thinktanks most popular gallery is a place where families with children can learn and play. It now features a Health Centre where children can role-play at being doctors or play in the baby clinic among others. The Medicine Matters gallery showcases the medical advances in which the city of Birmingham has played a major role. Displays here include showing how TV programs are checked to make sure they will not cause seizures, how doctors can predict if you will develop cancer and how scientists can work out how your brain functions.
Thinktank also has a Planetarium to visit. For further information please see:

Thinktank

For chocoholics you can enjoy the taste of Cadbury’s chocolate whilst discovering its history and origins at Cadbury World. The venue is packed with chocolate information and fun, for an event everyone will remember. Visitors can learn about the story of chocolate right from its discovery by the Aztecs in South America to how it is currently made. You can watch a copy of the production line and chocolate fans will be pleased to know you can taste the end product too! There is also a massive chocolate shop and refreshments. It can get extremely busy during the school holidays so it is recommended that pre-booking is done to avoid disappointment. For further information please see:

Cadbury World

Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre takes visitors on an inspiring undersea voyage, it has over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life, creating a great exhibit for visitors of all ages. There is also a huge one million litre ocean tank. Walk through the 360 degree transparent tubular underwater tunnel and marvel at the giant green sea turtles, reef sharks and tropical reef fish. The many exhibits teach you everything you wanted to know about marine life, the oceans. For further information please see:

Sea Life Centre Birmingham

The Weoley Castle ruins are more than 700 years old and are the remains of the manor house that once stood proudly here. Excavations have shown there castle’s occupants to be wealthy. Various finds from the house have included glass from Syria and kitchen equipment. The site has been inhabited from the 12th century, the site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument of national importance, meaning it is now protected from further damage and development. There is a viewing area with information panels that is open to the public at weekends. Visitors can take a tour of the ruins and learn more about this fascinating and historic house. For further information please see:

Weoley Castle

The Crescent Theatre, located in Sheepcote Street is one of Birmingham’s oldest theatre companies with a good reputation for providing quality entertainment at reasonable prices. The Theatre offers a great experience to all its visitors. In addition to the auditorium, the Crescent theatre has the Theatre Bar and the Coffee Bar that overlook the canal. Both of these offer a wide selection of refreshments in a wonderful relaxed environment. For further information please see:

Cresent Theatre

If you are a fan of dining then Bank restaurant in Birmingham is worth considering. Regarded as cool with its modern decor and design, it has terraces that overlook the 19th century canal to add to the dining experience. The food is acclaimed and very much at the heart of the restaurant. You can enjoy a great British dining experience here with a wide ranging menu of British classics and contemporary dishes. For further information please see:

Bank Restaurant Birmingham

For those seeking some great nightlife you can experience the ‘old school’ with a visit to Flares Night Club. This is a fun and vibrant venue with a great atmosphere. It attracts an eclectic crowd that includes everyone form students to the mature clubber looking for 70’s grooves and some 70’s inspired fun. The club has a well stocked bar and the live DJ’s play all the disco favourites from when disco ruled the world. The interior is retro boasting a under light dance floor that is very 70’s that help create an authentic atmosphere of disco fun. For further information please see:

Flares

Visitors to Birmingham can find accommodation in the city to suit all budgets, from those looking for inexpensive accommodation to those wanting to enjoy a more luxurious one. One thing to remember is to ensure your hotel is not too far away from where you need to get to, the travelling time each day to and from your hotel can take up valuable time, particularly important for those on a tight schedule whilst they visit Birmingham. It is wise to do your research and ensure your hotel is actually located at a convenient location for your needs and offers the required amenities. There are a range of fine budget, mid range and exclusive hotels available in Birmingham, for further information please see:

Selection of Birmingham Hotels

For a full list of Birmingham Hotels please see:

Birmingham Hotels


The Birmingham travel guide has taken a closer look at Birmingham, situated in the Midlands it is within easy reach for the north and south of the UK with good road, rail and air links. Whilst the city has had an unflattering image in the past, it is worth looking beyond that to discover Birmingham has a lot to offer. It has a number of interesting places to visit and explore and its location means you are not too far from the relaxing countryside.

Birmingham Travel Guide

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