City Guides
Birmingham
Introduction
Birmingham is Europe’s newest city, and the second largest city in the UK. Home to more than a million people, the city has greatly benefited from the £9 billion that has poured in for regeneration over the last twenty years, and is now a busy, vibrant and modern city.
Other than its impressive array of sporting, shopping, partying and cultural facilities, the borough of Birmingham has much to offer those seeking the calm of the countryside. The city is within reach of the picturesque countryside of the Cotswolds and the Severn Valley, and provides easy access to areas of cultural interest, such as Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery houses exhibits documenting 400,000 years of history, as well as the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. The city is also home to the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), the oldest art society in the world. There are a dozen more art galleries and exhibition centres around the city, including a unique multimedia gallery, showcasing the UK’s most innovation and exciting film, photography, sound and installation works.
The Birmingham Hippodrome theatre boasts the largest regular attendance of any theatre outside of London; and the city is home to eleven other theatres, as well as numerous amateur theatre groups and drama schools.
Aside from these, the city has plenty more to offer those seeking cultural entertainment, with a range of museums and an internationally renowned Symphony Hall.
For shopping, there are no cities outside London that parallel Birmingham for the sheer number of retailers, markets and shopping centres. The city centre claims more than a thousand stores, alongside the largest city centre shopping complex in Europe, the Star City complex with its 37-screen cinema, and several other smaller shopping centres across the city. All the major high street stores, designer brands and department stores are represented in the city centre alone, and there are plenty of smaller retailers alongside.
Fine dining restaurants are plentiful; the famous ‘Balti Triangle’ comprises a mixture of quality Balti-style food and cheap-and-cheerful takeaways; and the Chinese Quarter is home to a range of Oriental restaurants.
Well connected by train, bus and plane, the city is easy to get to and around, but the large numbers of residents who arrived as students and never left are a testament to the city not being easy to leave!
Other than its impressive array of sporting, shopping, partying and cultural facilities, the borough of Birmingham has much to offer those seeking the calm of the countryside. The city is within reach of the picturesque countryside of the Cotswolds and the Severn Valley, and provides easy access to areas of cultural interest, such as Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery houses exhibits documenting 400,000 years of history, as well as the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. The city is also home to the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), the oldest art society in the world. There are a dozen more art galleries and exhibition centres around the city, including a unique multimedia gallery, showcasing the UK’s most innovation and exciting film, photography, sound and installation works.
The Birmingham Hippodrome theatre boasts the largest regular attendance of any theatre outside of London; and the city is home to eleven other theatres, as well as numerous amateur theatre groups and drama schools.
Aside from these, the city has plenty more to offer those seeking cultural entertainment, with a range of museums and an internationally renowned Symphony Hall.
For shopping, there are no cities outside London that parallel Birmingham for the sheer number of retailers, markets and shopping centres. The city centre claims more than a thousand stores, alongside the largest city centre shopping complex in Europe, the Star City complex with its 37-screen cinema, and several other smaller shopping centres across the city. All the major high street stores, designer brands and department stores are represented in the city centre alone, and there are plenty of smaller retailers alongside.
Fine dining restaurants are plentiful; the famous ‘Balti Triangle’ comprises a mixture of quality Balti-style food and cheap-and-cheerful takeaways; and the Chinese Quarter is home to a range of Oriental restaurants.
Well connected by train, bus and plane, the city is easy to get to and around, but the large numbers of residents who arrived as students and never left are a testament to the city not being easy to leave!
Entertainment