Manchester

Mini guide to Manchester

Since the UK’s ‘Summer of Love’ in 1989, Manchester has been giving London a run for its money with its great nightlife and hip music scene, notably giving birth to some of Britain’s best bands of the last decade.

The city is steeped in reminders of its great history with a odd mix of architectural wonders, ranging through roman ruins to Victorian gothic masterpieces; from industrial canal warehouses to the recent modernistic renovation of the city centre following an IRA bombing in 1996.

Among the cafes and bars of Castlefield is a reconstructed Roman fort which gave birth to Manchester in AD79, is a worthwhile visit.

This stands close to a few of the cities more interesting museums – including the ‘hands-on’ Museum of Science and Technology and the Museum of British Aerospace.

The city’s heart is dominated by towering gothic constructions, including 3 of its 6 universities and the Town Hall in Albert Square, which sits directly behind the tall pillars and archways of Central Library.

The former central railway station is now transformed into the G-Mex Exhibition and Event Centre, and hosted the indoor events during Manchester’s Commonwealth Games in 2002.

For those wishing to experience some real culture the city has numerous theatres, the two most reputed being the Royal Exchange and The Palace Theatre. Close to the Palace Theatre on Whitworth Street the very modern Bridgewater Hall is home to the city's famed Hallé Orchestra.

Manchester's Chinatown is the largest in Britain and a great place for shopping and dining.

Among the countless nightlife options to explore, The Gay Village, based around Canal Street, boasts a brilliant outdoor cafe-bar scene standing under the legacy of the industrial revolution - weather-worn viaducts, massive warehouses and moth-eaten market buildings.

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