Have you ever been to Manchester? And it this is not a spelling mistake. This is just the second name of the British town of Manchester.
Did you know that this place is considered to be not only the second largest city in the country, but also a centre of Northern England?
Although Manchester is a city with a very rich history, industry has always been the main direction of its development. The town centre is almost entirely laden with warehouses and factory buildings, entangled by canals and old railway bridge nets.
Bet, you know Manchester for its educational institutions. There you can always meet a lot of students. So it is not a problem to imagine how popular and crowded the night clubs are.
By the way, exactly for its active nightlife, the city got its second name – Manchester. This town means a non-stop drive all year round.
But visiting Manchester you should mind some important details. We are going to give you some pieces of advice.
Pay attention to the Manchester transport system
Manchester, as any other major European centre, has a well-developed transport infrastructure. Nevertheless, if you want to meet the city centre, do it on foot. There are many reasons for this kind of travelling, we will mention only two of them.
First of all, it is recommended because most of the sights are located within walking distance of each other, and the second point is that walking through the streets of the city will allow you to watch everything more carefully and to remember the urban streetscape better.
But try to plan the routes of your walks in advance and read much about your future holiday destination, if you don’t want to get lost.
Discover the map of Manchester
If you are going to travel to long distances, take a bus. In addition to the ordinary buses, a day ticket of which costs about 4.5 pounds, there are three routes with free municipal buses linking all major areas of the city. They can be taken at almost all railway stations in Manchester, as well as on large car parking places.
Decided to travel by car?
It is worth to know that parking in the city centre is rather expensive. We would like to recommend you to leave your car on the special spots, located near bus or tram stations.
Don’t have your own car? This is not a problem! Rent it!
There are a lot of services that will help you to get a car of your dream. Taxis in Manchester are much cheaper than, for example, in London: a trip within the city will cost you 5-10 pounds.
By the way, it’s better to travel along Manchester on a rented bike – it allows you to manoeuvre in traffic jams during rush hours.
Activities, tours and attractions in Manchester. What to choose?
If you want to admire the city panorama, first of all pay attention to the Manchester Ferris wheel, located in the Millennium quarter. Hope, you’re not afraid of height.
You won’t regret if you find the time to do it. That is really a breath taking attraction.
In the historical part of the city visit the Cathedral, which is decorated by choruses? By the way not everybody knows that this building has the widest facade in the whole England. It is worth to be seen, isn’t it?
Then don’t forget to walk to the Town Hall, which is considered to be a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture. The University of Manchester will astonish you!
Why? – Just imagine that this place means the beginning of the radio astronomy science. Moreover, the chemical element vanadium was discovered in these walls.
Girls, attention!
The church of St. Anne’s, located in a quiet secluded area of Manchester, is a favorite wedding place, on Saturdays you can meet a plenty of couples here.
Try to go there in the morning in order to see beautifully dressed ladies and elegant gentlemen. But don’t forget to ask permission before taking some pictures!
Manchester Museums
Are you really sure that visiting museum is a rather boring activity? Well, perhaps.
But not in Manchester!
The antique lovers come to the delight of the archaeological park called Castle field, which has the famous ruins of the ancient Roman settlement
There is also a museum of science and industry in Manchester, in which you will be able to see many different exhibits, including a railway. We recommend you to take a look at the exhibitions, shown in Art Gallery “Whitworth” and the Municipal Art Gallery.
If you have enough time, visit the Museum of costume history. By the way, you will be able to take pictures in some costumes just for free, so don’t forget your camera then.
The museums are usually open every day, except Monday, and almost all of them have free exhibition, and the wide range of discounts. We are sure that you will be in love with this bustling and so interesting place. It can be visited any time of the year, because neither bad weather, nor crowds of other holidaymakers will prevent you from getting all the pleasure. Just come and see. Allow yourself to find out one new spot on the globe!