Many people will agree that Birmingham is not a conventional tourist city. There is a very distinct and unique vibe to the city, which is fast emerging as one of the most off-the-cuff tourist destinations in the United Kingdom. In fact, tourists are starting to add Birmingham to their UK itinerary, even for a short weekend escape, or as a getaway from the fast-paced life of London. The city is brimming with activity and is a hotbed of culture, art and heritage. Every neighbourhood of Birmingham has a different flavour, such that the city appears like a cluster of micro-communities, seamlessly woven together to form one buzzing city. Birmingham packs in a lot of punch with gorgeous museums and art galleries, that tell the city’s backstory. In addition, there is a bunch of interesting performance venues, which add to the fun vibe. And, of course, one can’t forget to talk about the picturesque canals of Birmingham, a fascinating piece of infrastructure that has survived through many generations. Apart from this, it is the diversity of Birmingham that really catches one’s attention. It really is a cultural pot pourri. People from different ethnicities live there in harmony, and this is reflected in its multi-cultural neighbourhood and great offering of ethnic cuisines.
Here are some Birmingham highlights to visit, when you have a couple of days on hand.
The Art Trail:
Art lovers are spoilt for choice in this city, which has many delightful museums and art galleries.
- Birmingham Museum and Art gallery: Situated in Chamberlain Square, this grand building is home to the world’s largest collection of pre-Raphaelite art, and also houses a collection of metalwork and jewellery, and a series of antiquities. Currently, on display is Dippy the Diplodocus — this superstar dinosaur cast, which gives us an insight into the prehistoric creatures that wandered around the planet, long before we were around. Open until September 9, this exhibit will bring huge benefits to Birmingham and by boosting visitor numbers to the city. After an art tour, one can relish a traditional Afternoon Tea in the Edwardian Tea Rooms in the gallery. Try the scones served with strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream. birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag
- The Barber Institute of Fine Arts: This place offers an astonishing collection of beautiful paintings, sculptures and fine prints, from the 14th century to the 20th. The institute showcases the collection from different styles and eras such as the Renaissance, post-Impressionism, Cubism, among others. barber.org.uk
- Ikon Gallery: Located inside a striking neo-gothic building in Brindley Place, this gallery is well-connected and is walking distance from New Street Station. All you need to do is walk in and admire the works of well-known artists such as Carmen Herrera and Richard Billingham. And for book lovers, there is a cosy bookshop stocking a range of books related to art, literature, fiction and non-fiction. ikon-gallery.org
- Library of Birmingham: You can’t miss one of Europe’s largest regional libraries. Its glitzy exterior is worth an Instagram post. Designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo, its loud exterior is designed to look like a delicate metal filigree. Step inside the rooftop rotunda that houses the Shakespeare Memorial Room, designed in 1882. This Victorian reading room was originally part of Birmingham’s first Central Library. Other facilities include a new studio theatre, an outdoor amphitheatre and other informal performance spaces, a recording studio and dedicated spaces for children. birmingham.gov.uk/libraries
Connectivity
Drive: Birmingham sits at the heart of the UK motorway network, with easy links to the M5, M6, M40 and M42.
Train: Birmingham New Street is the main station, with fast, frequent links to London and other major cities.
Fly: Birmingham airport is just ten minutes by train from the centre, has direct flights to more than 100 destinations worldwide.
Touring the city:
- Narrowboats are available to explore the historic sights and canals.
- To discover hidden gems of the city, one can choose the moorings and boatyard services. sherbornewharf.co.uk
- Go cycling with family. Pick routes such as Bournbrook and Harborne walkway.
Unwind:
- Stop for a coffee break at the Crestwood Coffee Shop at 5512 Crestwood Boulevard. The cafe serves the popular eggspresso biscuit, (an egg and cheese biscuit with a choice of bacon, sausage and ham), local coffees, and grilled and toasted sandwiches, quiches and more.
- Located in the middle of West Bromwich and Birmingham is Sandwell Valley, a picturesque park, perfect for a leisurely stroll. Other impressive green spaces are the Botanical Gardens and Cannon Hill.
Festivals Galore:
Birmingham loves to play host to a wide number of diverse festivals and community events – so whether you are a music lover or an art fan or, for that matter, are interested in cuisine, theatre or films – there are plenty of options to explore. Its music scene is considered among the best in the world. The city also comes alive during the celebration of ethnic festivals like Diwali, Chinese New Year, Eid, Vaisakhi, among others, owing to its diverse population.
Here are some of our recommendations:
- The annual Birmingham Weekender is the biggest arts festival in the city, which has attracted a lot of attention in the past couple of years. Last year, the festival had an economic impact of £2.7million and received thousands of visitors. It offers a perfect weekend of music, art installations and performances in the city centre. One of the highlights is the Birmingham Royal Ballet performing at the well-known Bullring shopping centre. The next edition is going to take place from September 27 to 29, 2019.
- Come October, the city will host the Birmingham Chocolate Festival that will take place on Central Square in Brindley Place. It will be accompanied by musical performances, fun activities and a variety of food stalls selling all things chocolate. There will be a chocolate tasting session along with a demonstration on how chocolates are made.
- Pop queen Kylie Minogue is coming to rock the stage with a power-packed concert at the Genting Area on September 21.
www.visitbritain.com/in
Birmingham: AN ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE
Knight Frank recently published their insights about the Birmingham property market and, according to them, Birmingham boasts some of the largest business, professional and financial services hubs outside London. In fact, Birmingham is already earning a reputation as one of United Kingdom’s (UK’s) economic centres. Take, for instance, the HS2 high-speed rail line. With HS2 stations being built in central Birmingham and the nearby town of Solihull, a wave of major regeneration projects are underway, stimulating housing schemes, office developments and connectivity projects across the region, and so on.
The statistics released by West Midlands Growth Company and research body, Global Tourism Solutions (GTS) shows that the city had a boom in the tourism sector recording a tourist footfall of 41.8 million in 2017. And with prominent events like this year’s Dippy the Diplodocus — the UK’s most famous dinosaur tour in Birmingham, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, and particularly in light of the announcement that the Commonwealth Games is coming in 2022, tourism will continue to do well in the future.
