The UK’s second-largest city is known for its museums, shopping, canals, food, and music. Located in central England, Birmingham attracts visitors with its concert halls, shopping streets, art exhibitions, curry restaurants, and chocolate factories. The city was at the center of his 17th century and 18th-century industrial revolutions and many technological and scientific advances were developed in the city’s factories.
Today Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK.
Efficient train and bus public transport are convenient. Explore the city’s canals, remnants of the Industrial Revolution, on a boat tour. Victoria Square is the heart of the city and many major attractions are within walking distance. Visit the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to see masterpieces of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Shop for fine clothing at the Mailbox and admire his 18th-century architecture at Birmingham Cathedral.
Learn about the effects of the Industrial Revolution at the think-tank Birmingham Science Museum. There are interactive activities for younger visitors, including giant hamster wheels and square-wheeled carts. Visit the Jewelry Quarter west of downtown to learn about the centuries-old industry and shop for handcrafted jewelry.
Head south of the center to the Bullring Shopping Center, which is lined with chain stores and independent boutiques. Summer brings Birmingham’s music scene to life. Enjoy free concerts during the Birmingham Jazz Festival. Symphony Hall is the venue for hundreds of events throughout the year, with orchestras and world-famous musicians performing. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy boating on the golf courses and lakes of Sutton Park, just north of the city center. You can follow in J.R.R.’s footsteps at Seahall Mill in the south. Both Tolkien is a short train ride from the city center. Don’t miss Birmingham’s culinary scene, influenced by African, Caribbean, Chinese, and Indian cultures. South of town, the Curry Mile gets its name from the concentration of Indian restaurants. Enjoy a chocolate tasting at Cadbury World.
Things to do in Birmingham
Symphony Hall: the heart of Culture
Birmingham’s famous classical music venues are still the city’s cultural hub. The venue has stunning acoustics and hosts state-of-the-art productions throughout the year. Completing his three functions of an institution of arts and knowledge, the Repertory Theater and the Birmingham Library invite visitors to a variety of shows and events. Nearby is the Hall of Memory, a moving war memorial that has stood since the 1920s.
Victoria Square: Birmingham’s social center
This pedestrian square is in the heart of the city, and visitors will not be disappointed, from its architecture to its contents. Statues and fountains line the square, and Birmingham City Hall overlooks the social life below. Visitors weave their way between cafes and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which houses a beautiful collection of local art alongside internationally renowned artists. Walk down Colmore Row to reach the equally magnificent Birmingham Cathedral.
Jewelry District Museum: a normal day
Considered one of the best free attractions in all of Europe, this small independent museum was once Smith and Pepper’s family-owned jewelry workshop. The perfectly preserved workshops are historical landmarks throughout the jewelry district, inviting visitors to step back in time and learn more about the industry. , highlighting the dazzling display of the fine works created in these very streets.
Bullring Mall: in the bullring
In the Middle Ages, this part of Birmingham was a regular marketplace. Today, two new shopping centers preserve this history to this day. The Bullring is now the UK’s busiest shopping center, welcoming tens of millions of visitors each year. Even if you’re not looking for anything, the futuristic architecture is worth a visit.
Barber Museum: everyone’s culture
This museum house works by countless masters, but this is only half of it. Visitors can also enjoy an exciting program of theater in the University of Birmingham’s Art Deco building. Everyone is invited to become a student of these events and tourists will neglect to take advantage of them. In addition to more classical collections of oil paintings and etchings, the museum has a unique coin collection that includes Roman and Byzantine treasures.
Where to stay in Birmingham
Bullring Shopping Centre
Known for its fantastic nightlife and popular shops, there’s plenty to explore in Birmingham City Centre. Check out top attractions like Birmingham Cathedral and Victoria Square, and jump on the metro at Grand Central Tram Stop or Corporation Street Tram Stop to see more of the city.
Birmingham City Centre
Edgbaston is known for its abundant dining options, and you can plan a trip to Hagley Road and Birmingham Botanical Gardens while you’re in town.
Edgbaston
Coventry City Centre is noteworthy for its museums, and you can make a stop at top attractions like Lady Godiva Statue and Coventry Cathedrale
Coventry City Centre
Known for its fantastic nightlife and popular shops, there’s plenty to explore in Westside. Visit top attractions such as Broad Street and the National Sea Life Centre, and see more of the city by hopping on the metro at Five Ways metro stop or Brindley Place.
Meridian
Meriden is known for its array of dining options, and you can make a stop at Resorts World Birmingham and Coventry Building Society Arena while you’re in the area.
Binley
Binley is known for its bars, and you can make a stop at top sights like Combe Abbey Country Park and Coventry Building Society Arena.
Moving into Birmingham
If you’re staying in Birmingham’s city center, explore the area on foot using the extensive pedestrian streets. A great way to experience the city’s famous architecture up close. There is also an extensive bus network throughout the city and local trains connecting the city with the surrounding areas. The Midland Metro streetcar line operates between the historic Jewelry Quarter and surrounding towns. Visit the Transport for West Midlands website. Find car rentals in Birmingham.
Best time to visit
Birmingham has a temperate climate, with warm summers, cool winters, and moderate rainfall throughout the year. For the best chance of warm, sunny weather, visit between June and August, when average temperatures peak at 70°F (low 20°C). Spring and autumn differ in beauty and warmth or cold, but prices are cheaper at this time of year. Winters are often gray, cold, and damp.
Popular destinations
St Maarten and St Maarten including interior view and theater scene
During your visit to Birmingham, you can find the perfect gifts to bring home at Broad Street. Enjoy the top-notch restaurants in this walkable area. wide street
Bullring Shopping Center for modern architecture and shopping
A state-of-the-art complex, this shopping destination was built on the site of the centuries-old Market Square and continues Birmingham’s tradition of commerce and ambition.
Cadbury World with CBD, historic buildings, and signage
Learn the history and taste of the range of products of the world’s largest chocolate maker at this interactive chocolate and entertainment center.
The Mailbox
At this multi-purpose mall, you can shop for designer clothes, sample international cuisine at seaside restaurants, and watch TV shows.
Utility Arena Birmingham
Catch an event at Utilita Arena Birmingham during your trip to Birmingham. Make time to shop and visit the lively bars in the area.
Cuisine and culture
If Birmingham in the past was characterized by industry, today’s Birmingham is characterized by gastronomy. From award-winning fine dining like Purnell’s to fantastic independent Potpourri, there’s never been a better time to dine in Britain’s ‘Second City’. At Digbeth Dining Club, you’ll find some of the country’s most inventive dishes. This lively street food event takes place every weekend in Digbeth, a cultural hotspot just south of the city center.
But Birmingham’s culinary reputation would be nothing without the contributions of immigrants who arrived in the city after the war. Birmingham’s most famous dish, balti curry, was developed by the local Pakistani community over 40 years ago and is still popular today. Visit the famous Balti Triangle for some of the best South Asian flavors in all of Britain.
Helpful tips
Independent Birmingham
Birmingham’s highly creative independent food scene is one of the biggest reasons to visit the city. Visitors should download the Independent Birmingham app to get discounts at over 110 independent cafes, bars, restaurants, theaters, and experiences, as well as an interactive map of where to find them.
Leave town
Birmingham is a metropolis of over one million people, but its center (or ‘the city’) is surprisingly small and walkable. Two of the city’s most exciting neighborhoods, Digbeth and the Jewelry Quarter are just a 10-minute walk from the city center.
Take a late train
There are several train services from London to Birmingham, but the best value is to take the Chiltern Line from London to Marylebone. It’s about 30 minutes slower than the Virgin Train from Euston, but tickets are often incredibly cheap. Off-peak tickets to Birmingham can be purchased for just £5.50 (RM30) if you book in advance.