Blog - Exploring Birmingham!

Exploring Birmingham!

Birmingham is one of Europe's most vibrant cities, with unique attractions and a diverse range of cuisines, music, talent, fashion, lifestyles, museums, galleries, festivals & events... as well as supurb architecture!

From the shopping haven that is the city centre, with its magnitude of shops, entertainment and stunning architecture to the sophisticated Brindleyplace with its tree-lined squares and enviable canalside location, featuring various restaurants and bars for the most glamorous of visitors; Birmingham has it all!

At Brindleyplace you can enjoy some of the remarkable international cuisine before seeing a first-class concert at the International Convention Centre, home to the Symphony Hall or perhaps you would like to spend some time in the National Indoor Arena, one of the busiest large scale indoor sporting and entertainment venues in Europe!

If you have an artistic flair, then perhaps the Eastside will take your fancy… the artistic hub of the city that radiates with creativity. Eastside is where you’ll find Millennium Point and the Thinktank Science Museum. The Eastside quarter is full of innovation and cutting edge-art projects to entertain and stimulate the mind – incorporating a vast array of attractions for all ages.

Birmingham is unique for its diverse quarters, exploring the city is seen as an adventure of its own. There’s the world-famous Balti Triangle which is the centre of Asian cuisine, fabric and fashion! It is home to some of the most irresistible authentic curries, you’ll honestly believe you’ve been whisked off to the orient. The Balti Triangle also features breath-taking Asian fashion to marvel at, the intrinsic detail is an art of its own.

Other areas include the Colmore Business District, which is the commercial heart of Birmingham, which is abundant with professional services, retails, bars, cafes and restaurants. Also! The historic Jewellery Quarter, with over 100 independent specialist retailers and craftspeople! This is where over 40% of British jewellery is created.

Birmingham’s Gay Village is home to one of the largest LGBT communities! It is renowned for its welcoming, lively, cosmopolitan environment and has many fabulous bars, clubs and restaurants. The Village hosts the UK’s largest two day Pride festival as well as SHOUT festival, presenting the best in LGBT arts. Next to the village is Theatreland which is home to the UK’s busiest working theatre – the Hippodrome, as well as many other electrifying performance venues!

Just a stone’s throw away is Birmingham’s Chinatown, with a great choice of places to eat that offer authentic menus from Northern China all the way to Malaysia. Chinatown also has a unique clubbing scene which promises a funky night out – with venues playing a vast range of music and the ever-embarrassing but equally fun karaoke bars.

When the sun goes down, head to Broad Street, Birmingham’s most dynamic, spirited entertainment destination to enjoy clubs and bars galore – from intimate canalside bars and international club nights, to comedy and great restaurants.

Just ten minutes away by train you’ll find Birmingham Airport and The NEC which has been welcoming the world for over 30 years to some of the world’s most popular exhibitions, conventions and live events. Each year the NEC hosts more than 140 events attracting over 2 million people!

Attractions

• The Mailbox: exclusive stores, waterside restaurants, cafe bars, hotels, salons and galleries and the BBC public space, where you can go behind the scenes and see programmes broadcast live.

• The National SEA Life

• Cadbury World
• National Paintballing Fields
• Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
• Go Ape! The UK’s No.1 Forest Adventure.
- • The Leisurebox: Birmingham’s only Ice rink and the training venue for Olympic gold medallists, John Curry and Wilf O’Reilly.
• The Jewellery quarter: two museums, The museum of the Jewellery Quarter and The Pen Room Museum
• Winterbourne House & Garden
• The Black Country Living Museum – a world class open-air museum.
• The Public: a stylish creative space that makes art accessible for all.
• Twycross Zoo
• Dudley Zoological Gardens
• Solihull: Home of the NEC and LG Arena, and internationally renowned National Motorcycle Museum
• Sutton Park: The Largest urban park in Europe.

…and MANY more!

Events

Why not visit Birmingham for some of their amazing festivals & events? Birmingham City Breaks can incorporate whatever you want! That’s the magic of it all… Below are just a few examples of festivals and events you can enjoy during a Birmingham city break.

Disney’s The Lion King theatre Show

29 June – 28 September 2013

Birmingham Hippodrome

“…the compelling tale of samba, the young Lion Cub, as he Journeys through life and struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role of King”

Since its Broadway premiere in 1997, Julie Taymor’s multi-award winning production has now been seen by over 65 million people across 15 countries on 5 continents and has been translated into 6 languages

The touring production will be the biggest musical production ever to tour the UK. With 26 different types of animal, along with hundreds of masks and puppets and more than 700 elaborate costumes, 21 giant trucks are used to transport everything across the country.

Times & Prices

Tuesday & Thursday 7.30pm + Wednesday & Thursday 2.00pm: £25 - £55

Friday & Saturday 7.30pm + Saturday & Sunday 2.30pm: £30 - £60

*The Hippodrome is just 4 minutes Taxi from the Jurys Inn Hotel or 15 minutes by foot.

More Theatre Shows: I Was a Rat!, 12 February-2 March, The Old Rep Theatre,

The Orphan Of Zhao, until 28 March, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon,

The Little Shop of Horrors, 27-30 March, The ICC.

• LOLIHULL Comedy & Literature Festival: 6 – 13 April 2013

• Flatpack Festival: 21-31 March 2013

• Birmingham International Concert Session

• BBC Good Food Show Summer: 12-16 June 2013 at the NEC

• BBC Gardners World Live: 12- 16 June 2013 at the NEC