Where?
Liverpool sits on the eastern side of the
Mersey estuary, on the north-west coast of England.
Why?
A lively city with a heart, and striking architecture, Liverpool
has the largest collection of museums and galleries outside of
London (and entry is free).
What to see
The magnificent old warehouses of Albert Dock on the revitalised
waterfront, buzzing with bars and restaurants, are home to the
excellent Merseyside Maritime and International Slavery museums,
plus must-see contemporary art at Tate Liverpool. On the Pier Head,
the new Museum of Liverpool is the world's first national museum
devoted to the history of a regional city, and what stories it has
to tell.
Close by, the iconic Three Graces - the Royal Liver, Cunard, and
the Port of Liverpool Buildings - form one of the world's most
recognisable skylines. They are best appreciated from the deck of
yet another symbol of the city, a ferry across the Mersey.
Zigzag your way through the Beatles Quarter (the city is
celebrating 50 years of the Fab Four this year, and the Cavern Club
is still a popular live-music venue) to Hope Street. There, you
will be mesmerised by the design of the Metropolitan Cathedral of
Christ the King, and awed by the soaring Gothic masterpiece that is
Liverpool Cathedral, where the biggest surprise could be that it
was completed only in 1978. Its restaurant and café are famously
good, too.
Liverpool displays its rich and diverse heritage well, and much
of the city centre and its waterfront is a UNESCO Cultural Heritage
Site. Opposite Lime Street Station, the magnificent neo-classical
St George's Hall heads a cultural quarter that incorporates
outstanding collections at the Walker Art Gallery, and the
fascinating, family-friendly World Museum. For more "bohemian"
cultural tastes, the trendy RopeWalks quarter has brought new life
to 19th-century industrial warehouses. Finally, if you have any
time left, the shopping is particularly good.
Where to eat
Take afternoon tea at Panoramic 34, the tallest restaurant in
Britain, on the 34th floor of the West Tower, with views across the
city to the Welsh hills. Head to Chinatown for authentic Chinese
and pan-Asian fare. The first Chinatown in Europe, it has the
largest Imperial Arch outside China, shipped piece by piece from
Shanghai.
Near by
Croxteth Hall and Country Park, the ancestral home of the
Molyneux family, the Earls of Sefton, has a historic hall,
Victorian walled garden, and a 500-acre country park with
woodlands, ponds, pastures and a local nature reserve. Southport
has a pier, amusements, championship golf, and an £18-million arts
venue. Knowsley Safari Park, in Prescot, is billed as "Liverpool's
wildest day out".