How to have fun in Birmingham, England? The city's tourist centre isn't huge and you'll only need 1 day to explore the main attractions.
However, Birmingham's convenient location in the middle of England makes it a great base for travelling around England.
Birmingham as the Venice of the North
Clearly the city's main attraction so far is the intricate network of water canals, of which there are over 35 miles in Birmingham and its immediate surroundings.
And that's more than all the canals in the historic core of Italy's famous Venice combined!
It's also the origin of one of Birmingham's most common nicknames - the Venice of the North - which has come to be applied to England's second largest city in a similar way to Stockholm, Amsterdam and Ålesund in Norway.
The purpose of the canals
The history of waterways in the West Midlands dates back to the 18th century and the Industrial Revolution.
The sophisticated canal system that links the cities of Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton was once used mainly to transport coal and iron ore. These commodities were massively mined in the area.
At the height of the mining boom, the network of so-called 'canals' measured the length of the river. Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) over 160 miles or 257 km.
Water canals today
The area around Birmingham has long since ceased to be the coal heart of England, yet over 100 miles (160 km) of water canals remain, 35 miles of which are within Birmingham alone.
The surroundings of many of these have been converted into pedestrian and cycle promenades, and special narrow boats run along the water for tourists and locals alike for leisure cruises.
Enjoy a short stroll through Birmingham's former industrial centre, whose buildings have been converted into breweries, restaurants, exhibition halls or aquariums.
But you can also plan a day trip along the canals.
Map of the canals
We've created a map of all the water canals in Birmingham that we've visited in person and divided them into three categories:
- City Center - The best and most beautiful canals are found right in the centre especially around Brindleyplace and along the locks at Cambrian Wharf.
- Natural Walks - walks outside the centre, where the canals are often surrounded by trees and parks.
- Industrial Walks - walks out of the centre in post-industrial settings with many brownfield sites and a very interesting atmosphere, especially on chilly autumn days.
Boat cruises on the canals
Birmingham's canals aren't just for strolling, you can also take a cruise on the canals.
The Sherborne Wharf boat cruise company offers two different types of cruises:
- Water Bus - water taxis plying the short circular route Brindley Place - Sherborne Wharf - King Edwards Wharf - Gas Street Basin - Mailbox
- Daily throughout the year from 10:30am to 5pm once every 30 minutes
- 4 gbp Full route / 1 gbp for 1 stop
- Details: sherbornewharf.co.uk/waterbus
- Daily Trips - Cruises on long narrow boats that traverse all the navigable canals within the city centre
- Daily from Easter to the end of April, weekends only during winter
- Cruise length 65 minutes
- 10 gbp
- Details: sherbornewharf.co.uk/daily-public-boat-trips
Shopping
Birmingham is one of the leading destinations for all shoppaholics.
Practically the entire city centre is taken up by the huge collection of shopping centres that make up the famous Bullring.
With more than 150 shops and 40 food courts, you can easily spend an entire weekend shopping for luxury fashion, electronics, jewellery, watches, toys and much more.
The Bullring is also home to the main pedestrian mall, New Street.
The Bullring Centre has been the most visited shopping district in the whole of the UK for several years running.
Culture, museums and galleries
Birmingham is rapidly transforming from an industrial city into one of England's major cultural centres.
While you'll find much more famous museums or galleries in London, an hour away, concerts, popular shows and other cultural events are practically the order of the day in Birmingham.
Check out the current list of events at the official tourist website visitbirmingham.com/whats-on.
Excursions to the surrounding area
Birmingham has a great location in the middle of England and can serve as a perfect starting point for travel.
Have you found a cheap flight to Birmingham but would rather visit another English city? No problem. Bus or train services are very frequent from B'ham to the following cities, for example:
- London - 1 hour
- Liverpool - 1.5 hours
- Manchester - 1.5 hours
- Bristol - 1.5 hours
- Cardiff - 2 hours
