Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city and its location in the West Midlands makes it a great place to explore the beautiful Cotswolds< a i=2> andMalvern Hills areas – mainly by canal. Birmingham’s canals were a byproduct of the Industrial Revolution which saw urban bustle, and today this extensive canal network (the city has more canals than Venice) is mainly used for pleasure boating. Today the city is known for its jewelry and food, as well as for its many cultural activities and festivals, such as the second largest in EuropeSt. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Just 20 miles from Birmingham lies Coventry, the center of the British car industry. A massive bomb attack in 1940 destroyed much of the city, including old Coventry Cathedral, the ruins of which were incorporated into the new cathedral. Today, Coventry’s beautiful open squares, wide streets and pedestrian areas are worth exploring and offer lots of fun things to do, including great shopping and dining.
Read also: top tourist attractions in Birmingham
1 Historic City Centre, Birmingham
In the center of Birmingham, theTown Hall was built in 1832 and is a masterpiece of Victorian architecture. This impressive building resembles a Roman temple and features 40 ornate Corinthian columns made from Anglesey marble. It has been the center of the city’s music scene since hosting the first performance of Mendelssohn’s Elias in 1847. Today it is the impressive Symphony Hall, with its world-class acoustics and stunning auditorium, regularly hosting A-list singers and performers and is also home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Decorating the forecourt are two memorials, one to Queen Victoria and one to the inventor James Watt, while the Renaissance-style Council House (1874), with its famous “Big Brum” -clock (a slang expression for Birmingham) is close by. Other attractions in the Old Town include the pedestrian-only Chamberlain Square and the Central Library, home to the largest Shakespeare collection outside the United States ( 50,000 volumes in 90 languages).
Address: Victoria Square, Birmingham
Official site: www.thsh.co.uk
2 Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, opened in 1885, is considered one of the finest such museums outside London. The art treasures include a collection of Pre-Raphaelite painters, as well as works of art from the 17th to 19th centuries and sculptures by Rodin and James Tower. There are also interesting displays relating to the city’s history, including archaeological finds dating back to the Stone Age, along with the impressive Pinto Collection, with its 6,000-plus toys and other items made of wood.
Also worth a visit and within walking distance is the Birmingham Back to Backs attraction, a unique collection of the small “back-to- back” houses that were once so productive throughout the city. Built around a central courtyard in the mid-19th century, these houses provide a unique insight into the conditions of the working class and their important contribution to city life (admission by guided tour only).
Adres: Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
Official site: www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
3 Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
Families traveling with budding young scientists won’t want to miss Thinktank, the Birmingham Science Museum. This award-winning museum contains a host of fascinating science exhibits, many of which are hands-on and interactive. Highlights include an impressive collection of steam-powered machinery, from locomotives to tractors, as well as industrial machinery, many related to Birmingham’s important role as an industrial center over the centuries. Other fun displays include a chocolate wrapping machine; the Spitfire Gallery, with its authentic World War II aircraft (including one of the 10,000 Spitfires made on site); the Science Garden, with its human-sized hamster wheel; and the Thinktank Planetarium, with its fascinating tours through the stars and planets.
Adres: Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham
Official site: www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank
4 National SEA LIFE Centre, Birmingham
One of Birmingham’s most visited tourist attractions, the National SEA LIFE Center is home to an impressive display of more than 60 objects related to marine life. The pride of the place goes to the aquarium’s enormous million-gallon marine tank, with its unique underwater tunnel offering visitors an uninterrupted view of the diverse marine life on display, including everything from reef sharks to giant tortoises. All told, some 2,000 critters call the aquarium home, including countless rare seahorses, giant octopuses, lobsters, crabs, stingrays and otters (look out for Mango and Starsky!). However, the stars of the attraction are undoubtedly the penguins. Set in the impressive Penguin Ice Adventure habitat, these fascinating creatures are fun to watch as they frolic. A 4-D cinema is also on site and offers regular educational programming. Hot tip: If time and budget permit, book one of the fun behind-the-scenes or penguin feeding experiences.
Adres: The Waters Edge, 3 Brindleyplace, Birmingham
Official site: https://www2.visitsealife.com/Birmingham
5 Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham
The Jewelery Quarter is an area of Birmingham steeped in tradition. More than 200 jewelery workshops and silversmiths are concentrated here, mainly near theClock Toweron the corner of Vyse and Frederick Streets and around the Georgian Church of St .Paul’s. Be sure to visit theMuseum of the Jewelery Quarter, an insider’s look at the trade, in the fascinating Smith & Pepper Factory. Also worth a visit is the nearby Hall of Memory opposite Baskerville House, built in 1925 to commemorate the 14,000 townsmen who lost their lives during WWI.
If time permits, don’t forget to visit thePen Museum. Housed in the Jewelery Quarter’s old pen factory, this first-class museum showcases the city’s former role as a hotbed of pen making along with the history of writing instruments. A special treat is the opportunity to make your own steel point using the same machines and techniques used in the 19th century. Also fun is the reproduction Victorian schoolroom, where guests can practice their penmanship with traditional pens.
Address: Vyse Street, Hockley, Birmingham
Official site: www.jewelleryquarter.net
6 St Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham
Built in 1715, St. Philip’s Cathedral (the third smallest in England) began life as a parish church and was elevated to its current status in 1905. The cathedral was gutted during a bombing raid in 1940, but foresight saw its famous stained glass windows by Burne-Jones (1884) removed a few weeks earlier. Today, these important treasures – returned to their rightful place when the cathedral was rebuilt in 1948 – are a highlight of any trip to Birmingham. Another religious structure worth visiting isSt. Martin’s Church. It dates from the 13th century and has Burne-Jones windows.
Adres: Colmore Row, Birmingham
Official site: www.birminghamcathedral.com
7 Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, near the University of Birmingham, is home to an excellent collection of art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Highlights include masterpieces by Botticelli, Bellini, Tintoretto, Rubens, Rembrandt, Watteau, Manet, Monet, Gainsborough, Constable and Degas. The building itself should also be explored, especially for its excellent statue of George I. If time permits, be sure to check out the institute’s schedule:classical lunch and evening concerts< a i=2>.
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Official site: https://barber.org.uk/
8 Cadbury World, Bournville
On Cadbury’s Bournville factory site, just a short drive from Birmingham, Cadbury World is one of the area’s biggest (and most popular) attractions, welcoming more than 500,000 visitors every year. With a focus on fun, visitors can discover the history of chocolate and its production process through a number of fantastically themed interactive exhibits. Along the way, guests will learn the story of the Cadbury business, one of the world’s largest confectioners. Afterwards, spend a little time exploring the picture-perfect village of Bournville itself, built by the Cadbury family after 1860 specifically to house their large workforce.
Adres: Linden Road, Bournville
Official site: https://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/
9 Black Country Living Museum, Dudley
In the town of Dudley, just nine miles west of Birmingham, the Black Country Living Museum offers visitors a vivid insight into the history of mining (hence the ‘black’). An old mine shaft and reconstructed turn-of-the-century industrial community can be explored, as well as the neighboring network of canals (this part of the adventure takes place in an authentic narrow boat once used to transport coal). Other highlights include the opportunity to interact with costumed guides, well-versed in the history of the locals, plenty of unique shopping opportunities, vintage buses and commercial vehicles, as well as a traditional English fair from the 19th century.
Adres: Tipton Road, Dudley
Official site: www.bclm.co.uk
10 Broadgate, Coventry
Broadgate, a spacious pedestrian-friendly square in the heart of the city, is known for its references to Lady Godiva, the city’s most (in)famous resident. A statue of her stands in the center of the square and Broadgate House has a unique clock on which Lady Godiva appears on the stroke of the hour, with Peeping Tom on a window above.
Holy Trinity Church, in the north-east corner of Broadgate, has one of the city’s three famous towers, this one built in 1166 and 327 feet high. The church has beautiful windows, a stone pulpit from 1470 and interesting tapestries woven for the coronation of Elizabeth II. Also notable is a medieval painting from about 1430 entitled Doom (also known as Last Judgment) and depicts Christ judging souls to be sent to heaven or hell. Lost twice after being covered in layers of wax and varnish, the fully restored work of art is once again on display and is said to be one of the most important discoveries of medieval art in Europe.
11 Old Coventry Cathedral
Built in 1373 and originally one of the largest parish churches in England, Coventry’s old cathedral was not elevated to cathedral status until 1918. However, after the devastating scoundrel of 1940, only some parts of the outer walls remained standing, along with the slender 303-foot tall spire. At the east end of the old cathedral, a cross – old-fashioned from two charred beams rescued from the ruins – is a poignant symbol and reminder of the destruction. (Interesting fact: the sacristies were rebuilt after the war with the help of young German volunteers.)
Adres: Hill Top, Coventry
Official site: www.coventrycathedral.org.uk
12 St. Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry
A long, covered veranda connects the old cathedral ruins with the modern St. Michael’s Cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence and opened in 1962. The walls of the 420-meter-long nave are built in a zigzag manner, the offset concrete panels alternate with windows to the altar. The most striking feature, however, is the enormous glass screen on the west side of the building. Engraved with figures of angels, saints and patriarchs, it creates a striking visual link both with the ancient cathedral ruins and the busy city streets outside. Another impressive feature is the baptistery, with the font carved from Bethlehem stone and the stained glass Sunburst Window.
A nearby building fortunate enough to have survived the bombardment was the 15th century St. Mary’s Hall, headquarters of the Merchants’ Guild since 1342. The Great Hall (1394-1414) has an impressive oak vault and a tapestry depicting Henry’s visit VII in 1500.
Adres: Hill Top, Coventry
Official site: https://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/wpsite/
13 Grayfriars, Coventry
The most interesting of Coventry’s surviving half-timbered houses isFord’s Hospital in Greyfriars Lane, an almshouse for poor married couples, founded in 1509. Nearby Greyfriars Monastery, destroyed in 1539, is worth a visit for its surviving tower, now incorporated into Christ Church. The dormitory and cloister of Whitefriars Monastery has since been fully restored and now houses an interesting museum of local history. Bablake Old School (1560) is also worth a visit, as is Bond’s Hospital, a half-timbered house for older men founded in 1506.
14 Coventry Transport Museum
The Coventry Transport Museum provides a fascinating account of the history of road transport in Britain. Be prepared to stay a while as this is a huge museum. Highlights include an impressive collection of more than 300 cycles, 120 motorcycles and more than 250 cars and commercial vehicles, many of which were related to Coventry’s rich past as the center of the British motor vehicle manufacturing industry. Collections of note include royal limousines; cars from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s; as well as plenty of fun interactive educational displays.
Another top attraction in Coventry is the excellentHerbert Art Gallery and Museum. Often referred to simply as The Herbert and named after one of the city’s most philanthropic industrialists, Alfred Herbert, the museum has numerous fine sculptures, paintings and garments from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Adres: Hales Street, Coventry
Official site: www.transport-museum.com
Where to Stay in Birmingham for Sightseeing
We recommend these centrally located hotels in Birmingham, near popular museums and the National Sea Life Centre:
- Hyatt Regency Birmingham: luxury high-rise hotel, city views, modern decor, spa facilities, indoor pool and hot tub.
- Cool at the Rotunda: mid-neighborhood pricing, sleek design, serviced apartments, floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable beds.
- Staybridge Suites Birmingham: affordable suite hotel, kitchenettes, free breakfast, fitness center.
- Premier Inn Birmingham City Centre: great rates, central location, great staff, great breakfast.
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