Visiting Manchester – one of the best cities to visit in the UK

In the United Kingdom, Manchester is one of the best cities to visit and possibly the best when after something a little different than the predictability of England’s capital London.

Manchester Town Hall by Claire

Situated in the south-central part of North West England, Manchester is home to over 500,000 and is part of the expansive Greater Manchester area that has a total population of over 2 million. The city is steeped in history, but in recent years has come on leaps and bounds in bringing a contemporary and modern feel to the city-centre.

Manchester is also one of England’s most sporting locations, with both Manchester United and Manchester City based inside the border of the city, with the latter the current Premier League champions.

The city can celebrate numerous feats, with Manchester home to the world’s first railway station, the location the atom was first split and where the first ever stored-program computer was developed.

That’s just a little introduction to Manchester, but what can you actually do in the city? Well here are a few ideas.

Where to go

Scattered across the city are various museums and galleries can be found and cater for all tastes. Notable mentions go to the Museum of Science and Industry and the Manchester Art Gallery, with the former housing steam locomotives, industrial machinery and aircraft. The art gallery features works by Thomas Gainsborough, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and one of Manchester’s famous sons L.S Lowry.

Canal street, Manchester, UK by Parrot of Doom

If travelling to Manchester to indulge in its sporting history, then a trip to Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground in Salford for a tour of the stadium that comprises of an extensive tour of inside the fabled football arena and a chance to see what everything looks like at pitch-level from the dug-out.

Both of Manchester’s football stadiums entertain the idea of hosting some of the best corporate events and you can click here for what else might be on offer in that area, or you can also look at standard events in Manchester by looking on Events-Manchester.co.uk.

Where to eat and drink

When looking for places to eat and drink anywhere in the world it comes down to your own personal tastes and thankfully Manchester is a city that offers a full-on range of both.

Albert’s Shed is a great place to go to if you’re after some great Italian cuisine in a stylish, modern environment, whilst also in a great location such as Castlefield canal basin for picturesque views.

With Manchester having the largest China Town outside of London, there is plenty of choice when it comes to picking a restaurant and you wouldn’t go wrong if you chose from any outlet such as Abacus, China Cottage, Choy Hing Village, or any other established Chinese venue.

If you happen to be a native of the UK and don’t want to steer too far from your native cuisine then Manchester will still be able to offer a great choice in British food. ABode Hotel’s restaurant, Alexander’s lounge bar and the Ashton Arms are fantastic places to go for traditional ‘grub’.

Where to stay

The Manchester skyline is dominated by the city’s Hilton hotel and is a wondrous place to stay, if only for the weekend for its spectacular views, modern facilities and its prime location in vicinity to some of Manchester’s best shopping districts. The Radisson is also a good choice and inhabits one of the city’s most famous buildings, the Free Trade Hall, offering luxurious and relaxing rooms, as well as spa and gym facilities.

About the author: Sam writes for Events-Manchester.co.uk, the go-to site for all things happening Manchester.

Tags: art gallery features, canal street, england manchester, football stadiums, gallery features works, l s lowry, manchester area, manchester art gallery, manchester town hall, museum of science, museum of science and industry, north west england, pitch level, pre raphaelite brotherhood, program computer, railway station, steam locomotives, thomas gainsborough

Category: Cities, Cities