Visiting Birmingham – West Midlands County

Birmingham – West Midlands is a city that one cannot enjoy fully with a short holiday. The city requires a vacation that will provide you with the time to take in both the historic and modern beauty of this marvelous city. There are many historic sites and unique elements to the city that lie waiting to be discovered by the visitor taking their time to wander.

For four weeks of each year the city comes alive with the International Dance Festival. This festival celebrates the cultural diversity of the city with performances from dance troupes around the world. The Birmingham Royal Ballet performs classical and modern ballet for festival goers.

There are performances as well by members of the Hippodrome, Xchange and other dancers who make their way to the festival. You can watch performances and musicals each day and evening or participate in classes and dance at one of the many events that dot the city.

Visiting the Jewelry Quarter is like stepping back in time. This excellently renovated Victorian working district is still world renowned for its fine jewelry. You can visit the shops and boutiques that line the streets or spend time in one of the wonderful cafes or pubs. There are also many fine restaurants in the district that provide international cuisine for the visitor who wants to try different flavors and tastes.

There are many historical sites and buildings to see. St. Martin’s Cathedral built in’73 provides the classic architecture and lines of that era and is breath taking. You will find that Birmingham is one of the few English cities to have building designed in the English Baroque style of the early 1700s’. Visiting the Castle Bromwich Gardens brings together this classic style and formal English garden within a walled ten acre garden. At the end of Holly Maze is an excellent example of the period in a glass house. Throughout the garden you will enjoy the mature growth and foliage of over 600 species of plants from the period.

Taking advantage of the many canals that flow through Birmingham gives a visitor the chance to stroll and stop at the many shops and boutiques that line the canals. You can even take a tour of the city on one of the canal boats. These tours offer you a chance to see many sites that may be missed in a walking tour.

The Botanical Garden is a beautiful fifteen acre site that provides you with a wonderful opportunity to see the Victorian style in a garden. The bandstand in the central garden is home to many of the events that take place in Birmingham year round. You will enjoy the renovated glass houses that provide themes ranging from sub-tropical to desert climates.

A visitor will find galleries that contain the classic works of masters, architecture that spans the early 1700s’ to the present, and a mix of historic and modern on every street. This successful blend brings you wonderful food, shops, and site seeing opportunities among the wonderful and friendly residents of the city.

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