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.

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Berliner Dom Museum Island, Berlin, Germany / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Beny Shlevich

We can never get away from the fact that Berlin is in central Europe, therefore you are not going to be tanning it up on any beaches (even though it is landlocked, it does have a man-made beach!) or sipping cocktails in the sun all of the time, so it’s worthwhile noting the numerous excellent museums that the city has to offer. There is something for everyone, be it art, architecture, music or the history of the city itself.

There aren’t many cities in the world that can boast a place called Museum Island, but Berlin certainly can and it houses five of them. Situated in the middle of the Spree River, the island is home to the Altes and Neues (Old and New) museums, a national gallery and the Bode museum, which displays an excellent sculpture collection amongst other fine art. The jewel in the crown however, is the Pergamon Museum which shows off huge reconstructions – some life size – of different architecture of the last 3,000 years. It is truly a sight to behold.

Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by dalbera

If you like your art more pop than classical, then a good place to visit is the Hamburger Bahnhof. Set in a disused railway station, this huge space is home to works of some of the greatest contemporary artists including Warhol, Lichtenstein amongst many others. Fans of Joseph Beuys will be especially happy, as an entire wing of the gallery is taken up with some of his rarer works.

If the moving image is more your thing, then the Kinemathek museum – just off the Potsdamer Platz – should be your first stop. Everything from scripts to props is available to see, from the beginnings of German cinema, through the Weimar era and the war propaganda up to the present day.

Even if you’re not a fan of the New York punk legends The Ramones, you will be amazed at the expanse of the collection on show at this museum dedicated to Joey, Dee Dee and the boys. Crudely basing the museum frontage on the famous CBGB’s club in New York, owner-curator Flo Hayler started his collection with a couple of pin badges and a ticket stub after seeing the band live in the city a generation ago, and now the museum is filled with all things Ramone.

Ben Gallivan is a well-travelled Welshman with an appreciation for the finer things in life, including museums, music, and currywurst. He writes for One80 Hostel in central Berlin.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Tomas Maltby

Brighton Pier

World-famous for a reason the pier is a Brighton institution and no trip would be complete without at least a quick walk along it.

The remains of the old West Pier can be seen from the promenade of the surviving pier by Grand Junction. The skeleton of metal is still incredibly beautiful, despite years of storm damage and remains a great reminder of its former glory.

The modern pier offers everything you’d expect from arcades to restaurants, including the best fish and chips within hundreds of miles.

The Lanes

If you’re a vintage shopper than The Lanes could well be your paradise. A collection of narrow streets, crammed with various boutiques, it is a warren of fine designer clothes, retro phones, brand-name shaded and cuddly toys.

The hunt for a bargain is on, made all the more enjoyable by the lack of charity street-collectors and the presence of entertaining street performers.

The Brighton Toy and Model Museum

We have yet to discover a toy museum that didn’t instantly send us to a happier time, when our only concern was when we’d have to stop playing to eat and sleep.

Located in the magical arches of a railway station, this museum is right in the city centre and offers a collection of over 10,000 toys. You can even play with a few, while toy trains take long laps around the building.

Brighton Festival

The festival takes place for three weeks every May and the city becomes a hive of excitement throughout that time, so it’s well worth planning your trip to coincide.

The programme changes every year, but you can expect around 700 shows of theatre, musical and art.

The Brighton i-360

Although not open until next year, we thought it was worth mentioning this eye-catching design that will soon dominate the Brighton skyline. The sleek-looking observation tower will stand a full 183 metres high and be able to carry 100 visitors to its top, at one time.

It’s no surprise that it’s being designed by those clever people behind the London Eye, although you can expect a more beautiful view and cheaper prices.

Written by Matt for The Claremont Hotel, a luxurious boutique, family run hotel right in the heart of Brighton.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Terry Whalebone

Very few airports in the world can handle what is known as “Code F” aircraft, but this one can, and in fact, has been having the Concorde land there for a long time. Now it even handles the Airbus A380, which is currently the biggest passenger airliner today. This plane is even a double decker besides being a wide-body.

Wartime and After

During its time, the Ringway Airport was of tremendous importance to the RAF, and this location trained a great number of parachutists. Its various terminals have been added to since the war of course, and there is a tremendous amount of room for expansion, especially since the 1972 opening of the M56 motorway for use to reach the airport. Furthermore, since wartime, sky links and travelators have also been added.

Currently, the airport boasts three separate terminals all of which are in constant use. Also added have been special rooftop smoking terraces, many additional executive lounges as well as some great shops and of course restaurants. Evidently, the airport also has a very large World Freight Terminal that opened in 1986. Security at the airport is being handled by the Greater Manchester Police.

The Manchester Airport has its own railway station called the Manchester Airport Railways Station, and it came into use in 1993. It currently has three different rail platforms handling over 300 trains per day to take care of the huge amount of people who come to the airport by train. The airport also receives over 500 buses daily as well as over 100 coaches. There are plans to open a Manchester Airport tram station in 2016.

Aircraft Spotting

Because the public has always been interested in aircraft spotting, a Runway Visitor Park was opened in 2010. In addition, there is now a café and a store located there, which sells aviation-related items. A number of retired aircraft are available for sightseeing as well. Although there are a number of Manchester Airport hotel accommodation in the area, there currently is one hotel on Ringway road that also has a public house for those who wish to have a beer.

Accidents

Ever since the Manchester Airport has been open, there have been very few accidents. However, in March 1951, a cargo aircraft crashed, which was caused by icing in the carburetor intakes. The captain had unfortunately failed to utilise the plane’s heat controls. In 1957, a plane on final approach crashed due to flap failure. In 1967 a plane had to abort its approach to Manchester Airport and suffered a loss of engine power and therefore, crashed. Finally, in 1969, a small plane crashed on takeoff, and in 1985, a larger plane carrying 55 people suffered engine failure due to incorrect repairs, and it failed to take off causing a fire in the cabin.

Pam is a full time freelance writer and works on guest posting projects. If you are interested in her services please contact Pam at pdowlin@gmail.com.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Triin Olvet

But the city is mainly a seaside location, so the most tourists come here due to a well-known local beaches and promenades, such as beach Paralepa. However once you come to Haapsalu, you should not miss the local mud baths. The tradition of spas in the city dates back to the early 19th century, when a doctor took a habit of local inhabitants to treat rheumatic problems with mud baths. At this time a new sanatorium grew up here and shortly Haapsalu became a favorite destination of the Russian elite. Most of the spa buildings are situated near the Great Mall.

Haapsalu has 11,600 residents and is located 100km from the capital city of Tallinn. The city is also prepared for the lovers of technical monuments – in the local railway station you can find a railway museum and exhibition of historical vehicles. If you wish to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the seaside spa resort, Haapsalu is the right choice.

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Archeological site is located west of the railway station Selinunte and consists of two areas: Templi Orientali (Eastern temples) and the Acropolis. Tour through the locations takes 2-3 hours.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Chiara Marra

The first area includes three temples, which probably originally had a common protective wall. North Temple, situated at the entrance to the complex, was one of the largest Greek temples ever (113x54metres). Construction began in 550 BC but due to a continuing war threats, the temple was never completed. Only one column survived of the originally 46 columns. On the opposite, southern side of the road leading to the acropolis, is another temple (66x27metres), built between 560-540 BC. It had originally 30 columns. In the purest Doric style is built its southern neighbor (the early 5th century BC). It measures 70x28metres and is reconstructed, so we can admire its 36 columns (four beautiful metopes are stored in the National Museum in Palermo).

From these three temples, you can follow the 1.8 km long winding road leading along one of two Selinunte’s ports to the acropolis. During the way you pass the remains of two other temples that were built in 490 to 480 BC. Then you can find there the Hellenistic temple (the largest and oldest temple in this area, 64x24metres). It dates from the mid-sixth century BC (42 columns of the original 12 left, three metopes are in a museum in Palermo) and finally the last temple (56x24metres) from the years 570 to 554 BC. Furthermore there are the remains of ancient dwellings in the neighborhood. At the northern end of the Acropolis you can see the remains of the former main gate of the ancient fortifications. About a mile away there are the ruins of the Sanctuary of Demeter Malophoros and the remains of three other shrines.

Today the village of Selinunte is a small fishing village with nice beaches.

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Carvoeiro is a picturesque village and popular resort. Beautiful is the local coast called Algar Seco that is typical for a number of bizarre rocky pillars, bridges and caves in a rocky labyrinth.

Carvoeiro has a clean sea and beaches with fine sand. It is surrounded by beautiful limestone cliffs. One of the favourite beaches is the beach of Carvoeiro, which is due to slow entry into the sea, suitable for families with children. Other great beaches are Carvalho or Alagar Seco.

Carvoeiro has a wide range of accommodation. There are many restaurants, bars and shops. Popular restaurants include O Castelo or Pátio. In the village you can try a range of water sports, but you can also play golf. Golf Course Vale do Milho Golf is located right in Carvoeiro and it is not the only one.

The area of the current village was inhabited already by the Romans. The current name is probably derived from an old medieval name of the fishing village “Caboiere”. However up to 60′s of the 20th century Carvoeiro was a sleepy fishing village, it is now widely popular resort.

Carvoeiro is best accessible by car. The nearest international airport Aeroporto de Faro is located in Alexandria, the port and railway station are in Portimao. For moving around the town you can use the tourist train.

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Haarlem has been the historical center of the tulip bulb-growing district for centuries and therefore bears the nickname ‘Bloemenstad’ – The city of flowers. You can see beautiful flower arrangements on street corners, colourful parks and squares at any entrance to the city.

What to see in Harleem?

• Almshouses (hofjes) built around courtyards
• The Grote Markt (central market square), including:
• the City Hall
• the Vleeshal or meat market
• the Hoofdwacht
• the Grote or Sint-Bavokerk
• Stadsbibliotheek Haarlem, the Haarlem Public Library, an historic landmark
• Sint-Bavo Cathedral
• Castle ruin Huis ter Kleef
• The Teylers Museum (the oldest museum of the Netherlands)
• Frans Hals Museum of Art
• Het Dolhuys Museum of Psychiatry
• Windmill De Adriaan
• The Amsterdamse Poort city gate
• The art nouveau railway station of Haarlem
• Theater De Toneelschuur
• The Ten Boom Museum
• Villa Welgelegen
• Haarlemmerhout park
• The Bosch and Vaart neighbourhood

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