England’s second biggest city, Birmingham treats visitors to an eclectic blend of culture, history and entertainment. The City Centre is the pulse of the action, anchored by the elegant Victoria Square. It’s lined with beautiful historic buildings, with one of Europe’s largest fountains bubbling away in its centre.

For a taste of Birmingham’s best shopping and dining, visitors make a beeline for New Street. Running from the Bullring at one end to the Town Hall at the other, the thoroughfare is lined with high street staples, as well as specialist independent fashion retailers branching off the narrow side streets. Corporation Street is another fashion hotspot, with the city’s best street performers setting up on High Street.

Birmingham is connected by an ultra-efficient public transport network, with bus and tram stops dotting the City Centre. It’s also a major national transport hub, which means arriving by long-distance train, bus or plane is easy. For motorists, the Bromford Viaduct is well worth a drive. At 5.6 kilometres, it’s the longest bridge in the UK.

While today Birmingham is trumped only by London in terms of size, it was once a modest medieval market town. This reputation changed in the 18th century when it became the heart and soul of the Midlands Enlightenment. The Industrial Revolution quickly followed, which saw Birmingham transform into a global city.