Birmingham is daring, bustling with luxurious architecture and modern skyscrapers, "fun neighborhoods" and the best educational institutions in England . Let's talk about the city in detail: what is interesting, what to see and how to get there.
Why tourists visit Birmingham
There are many reasons to visit the city: see the city on a river excursion through the Birmingham canals and buy delicious chocolate from the local Cadbury shop. Here the author of "The Lord of the Rings" John Ronald Tolkien drew inspiration from writing his books, the oldest jewelry workshops work here. Another must-do is to rock out in clubs and sample local beer in pubs!
Birmingham in facts
- Language: English
- Currency: pound sterling
- Area: 267.8 sq. Km
- Population: 1.1 million
- Time: UTC 0, in summer +1
- Airport: yes, it connects Birmingham with major cities in Europe
- Transport: well developed - easy access to London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff
- Best known for: jewelry.
Geography and history of the city
Birmingham, the second largest city in the United Kingdom, is located in the West Midlands in central England. The city's climate is temperate maritime; it is slightly colder in winter and warmer in summer than in other cities.
Birmingham has received the prestigious status of "City of a Thousand Crafts" and "Workshop of the World" thanks to its industrial past. Today this modern metropolis with a rich cultural life. Despite the fact that most of the historic architecture was destroyed during the Second World War, today Birmingham appears at its best, combining historical architecture with modern style. The city was founded in the 6th-7th centuries, and already in the 13th century the glory of a shopping center with unique fairs was entrenched. The main attraction of the city is the canals, of which there are more in Birmingham than in Venice!
TOP attractions of Birmingham
- The jewelry quarter is the pride of Birmingham: there is a museum of jewelers and more than two hundred workshops
- Cathedral of Saint Philip - Built in the first half of the 18th century, the cathedral was attacked during World War II, but was rebuilt in 1948
- Canals - the oldest of them were built in the 18th century during the industrial revolution
- St. Martin's Church - a neo-Gothic building built in 1855
- Thinktank Science Museum - 10 interactive galleries with unique exhibits such as the world's oldest steam engine, space exhibits, planetarium, invention exhibitions
- Digbeth Entertainment Center - Birmingham's nightlife hub, home to The Old Crown, the city's oldest pub, dating back to the 1300s
- Cadbury World Chocolate Factory is a historic village where guests can learn the history and secrets of chocolate making.
How to get to Birmingham
There is no direct flight from Moscow to Birmingham, so you will have to get there with transfers. But there are a lot of options, European airlines regularly fly to Birmingham:
- Brussels Airlines = via Brussels
- Lufthansa = Frankfurt
- Turkish Airlines = via Istanbul
- KLM = via Amsterdam
- Swiss Airlines = Zurich
- Flybe = from Amsterdam and Paris.
Free Aeroexpress trains run regularly from Birmingham Airport and take just 2 minutes to Birmingham Train Station. The city center can be reached for £ 3-5 with the 900 bus that departs every 15 minutes. A taxi ride from the airport will cost around £ 55-65 and the ride time to the center is 30 minutes.
