A short visitors guide to Liverpool

Liverpool is a grand Northern city, famed for, among other things, its nightlife, culture, music and sports.  In 2008 it was awarded the honour of European Capital of Culture, and its waterfront is a UNESCO heritage site.  It has the UK’s biggest Chinatown, makes up one half of North England’s two huge cities, and has a friendly rivalry with its neighbour Manchester which is about one hour away.

Being an important port city with a history that really came alive with the industrial revolution, Liverpool really has a great deal of heritage to explore.  Its architecture is an impressive mix of old and new, and gone are the days when people would consider the town to be a bit run down.  The 1911-built Royal Liver Building is a symbol of Liverpool that sits on its waterfront, but throughout the town you fill find modern and classical architecture that can rival the best in Western Europe.

For example, St George’s Hall on Lime Street is a roman style building built by Liverpool’s wealthy.  The Bluecoat is a Grade 1 listed building from 1717 and after 15 million pounds of redevelopment it opened again in 2008.  If you head down to Albert Dock, you will find the biggest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings in the UK.  The list goes on – the Town Hall, Synagogue, and Cathedral – all magnificent Liverpool buildings.

The best way to see all of these attractions and many more is to indulge in a tour around the city, particularly if you don’t have so much time to explore. Afterwards, check out one of the many museums, or an oddity like Williamson’s Tunnels – hundreds of tunnels built under the city by a wealthy merchant that of which no-one is quite sure of the reasoning behind construction.

Liverpool is also famous for music – from The Beatles to Echo and the Bunnymen it has constantly been at the forefront of modern music, and there are museums dotted around the city celebrating this.  It is also home to the world-famous Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and is one of the UK’s top live music cities, if not the best. Every night top artists from around the world will be found in Liverpool, and local musicians fill every bar attempting to become the next John Lennon.

In terms of nightlife, in the UK Liverpool is perhaps only rivalled by Manchester and London for its sheer diversity.  At Albert Dock you’ll find some of the most swish bars and clubs, but Mathew Street and Concert Square continue to be the main focal area for revellers.  Most late-night clubs expect smart-casual wear, but there are also those like the Krazy House that have a more relaxed dress policy.

Liverpool, surprisingly, has no five star hotels, but some say the most posh hotels in Liverpool city centre would certainly quality for five stars if they weren’t simply too posh not to worry about star ratings. Budget rooms can be sourced all throughout the city centre, and for the truly penny-conscious heading 1-2 miles out from the city results in a great discount in price.  Liverpool is certainly one of Britain’s must-visit destinations.