Birmingham City Breaks

A guide to Birmingham

Weekends in Birmingham tend to defy expectations and force many visitors to rethink long held clichés regarding England’s second largest city. In common with cities like Manchester, much of the appeal here lies in the city’s dynamic sense of urban renewal and reinvention, and its growing reputation for wide-ranging entertainment and nightlife. Yet among all the ground-breaking development, visitors can also experience a little history, via the city’s oldest buildings, its traditional pubs, and its fine museums and galleries. Visitors may be surprised to find Birmingham offers the world’s finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, a groundbreaking contemporary multimedia gallery, and a cinema complex and casino that rank among the largest in Britain.

Top shopping, entertainment and dining

Perhaps only London can rival Birmingham in terms of shopping opportunities. The vast Bullring and Star Centre will satiate even the most demanding shopaholic, while the Jewellery District, markets and Victorian arcades offer character and touch more sophistication. Like all England city break destinations, Birmingham offers a wide range of restaurants, with particularly outstanding Chinese and Asian cuisine that features Birmingham’s famous Balti Triangle curry paradise. A thriving and varied nightlife scene ensures plenty to do, thanks to lively bars, discos and cool clubbing, as well as superb traditional pubs, live music, comedy clubs and popular shows and musicals. The city holds large scale spectaculars, major rock and pop concerts, ever-popular London shows and musicals, or even football at Villa Park and cricket at Edgbaston.

Family attractions and days out

Birmingham offers plenty of fun family attractions, including the National Sea Life Centre and the innovative Thinktank science museum. Efficient public transport ensures even the shortest of weekends can include visits to out-of-town attractions like the West Midlands Safari Park and Cadbury World. Longer breaks allow more time to explore local canals and parks, visit attractions like Drayton Manor Theme Park, or even take an excursion into the beautiful surrounding countryside.