Manchester Tourist Information

Manchester - the liveliest of cities with its exciting, cosmopolitan atmosphere, offers you lots to see and do during your visit. Along with top attractions, galleries, museums, superb shopping and stunning Victorian Architecture, Manchester is everybody's kind of city.

Manchester is an outward looking European City, with the warmth and atmosphere of a village; it contains a range of village areas each with its own unique identity and special qualities.

It is Manchester's Castlefield area that perhaps best captures the city's rich layers of history. Castlefield was home to the Romans for 400 years from 79 AD. Medieval Manchester grew around the Cathedral area, while Castlefield became a deer park, transforming during the mid 1700's into the centre of the Industrial Revolution.

Industry grew rapidly after the Bridgewater Canal opened in 1761, bringing coal into the city to heat the mills. Above all, the construction of the Manchester Ship canal made Manchester a major world port and trading centre.

The city's rich merchants, built palatial warehouses as symbols of their success and today, Manchester has preserved many of its fine Victorian buildings, and given them a new lease if life as striking hotels, new homes and offices. The Town Hall, designed by Waterhouse, with its famous display of Ford Madox Brown murals, and what is now the Palace Hotel are among the city's finest buildings.

In the arts, politics, social and educational movements, Manchester often led the field. The city was home to Charles Dickens, Mrs. Gaskell, Howard Spring and many other key historical figures.

Manchester has a whole variety of attractions, museums and galleries. The award winning Museum of Science and Industry illustrates the city's rich industrial and architectural heritage.

Its 15 galleries are sited within stunning Victorian buildings, including the world's first railway warehouse and passenger railway station, while at the City Art Gallery, you can see the famous Pre-Raphaelite paintings collection. An intricately glazed Victorian market hall holds the planes that made flying history, while a recreation of Stephenson's Planet and a hands-on experiments laboratory for children, set in contemporary interiors within huge Victorian warehouses.

Children will find Manchester a great place to explore and learn. They can find out how people spent their free time over the last 200 years at the People's History Museum, or go back in time even further at the Manchester Museum, with its amazing collection of Egyptian mummies and fossils.

The city's compact layout, means that wherever you turn the rich and elaborate historic buildings of Manchester are evident, and most of the attractions are within easy walking distance of each other.

Manchester is a shoppers' paradise offering the ultimate in choice, from designer chic to antiques and crafts, specialist to second-hand, within compact pedestrian areas that are easy to find your way around.

Manchester's love of sport is well known and it was with great pride that the city hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002. A new world class stadium was built for the event, next to the National Cycling Centre, Manchester Velodrome. Manchester has two leading football clubs - Manchester City and Manchester United - which are international ambassadors for the sport.

The region is also home to Lancashire County Cricket Club. If you want to participate yourself, Manchester offers a broad range of pursuits out and indoors, from ice skating to ten pin bowling, golfing to go-karting.

Wining and Dining - You don't have to travel the world for choice of authentic international cuisine, there is something for every taste in Manchester, with over 20 different nationalities to choose from.

Music, Dance and Entertainment - Manchester's credentials as an entertainment capital night and day are unquestionable. It's the life and soul of the region, with more theatres than any other UK city outside London, two internationally renowned orchestras and a music and club scene of world wide fame.

From Oasis and Simply Red, to the Halle Orchestra and BBC Philharmonic, music is a source of pride in Manchester. You can enjoy it seven days a week, at the city's rich selection of venues - from churches and clubs to the majestic new 2,400 seat Bridgewater Hall and huge NYNEX Arena.

If you're planning a trip to Manchester, why not check out our great range of hotels in Manchester city centre?