eXPLORE BIRMINGHAM

Want to explore Birmingham further?

“A city beating at the heart of the country with a quiet confidence like no other. We’re a hotbed of culture that's rich and diverse.”

University of Birmingham

The beautiful, green campus has a wide range of historic and modern spaces for our students, staff and visitors to enjoy, as well as museums and galleries. The university offers a wide range of attractions for you to enjoy during your stay, all of which boast great history and culture. Click here for more information.

Image of the symphony hall, birmingham

Symphony Hall
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Birmingham is proud to have its own resident symphony orchestra based at Birmingham Symphony Hall in the city centre. The company includes world class musicians and the superb venue attracts many visiting performers too. Find out more by visiting their website.

Ikon Gallery

The Ikon gallery was established in 1964 as an artists-led alternative space, it has evolved into one of the most internationalist artistic programmes in Europe combining established with emerging artists.

Birmingham City Centre

Taking just one stop from University Station to Birmingham New Street, you will disembark at the newly developed Grand Central station in the very heart of Birmingham. Whilst Grand Central is Birmingham’s newest prime shopping centre, it is also located next to the Bullring, Birmingham’s state of the art shopping centre, backed up with the astounding Selfridges store and Mailbox.

Victoria and Chamberlain Square

Victoria and Chamberlain square bring together the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, home to some of the finest art collections in the world, and the magnificent Council House and Town Hall.

Image of the Birmingham Museum and art gallery

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is housed in a stunning Grade II listed landmark building that has watched over the city’s Chamberlain and Victoria Squares since 1885, welcoming millions of visitors over the years..

Image of the Library of Birmingham

Library of Birmingham

The new spectacular Library of Birmingham is Europe’s largest regional library and is a flagship for the redevelopment of the city. Grab a coffee, a book and sample the extraordinary views from the roof terraces.

Image of a street in Digbeth, Birmingham

Digbeth

Digbeth is one of the most distinctive parts of the city and is less than ten minutes walk from Bullring & Grand Central. It has been named the 'Coolest Neighbourhood in Britain' by the Sunday Times, hailing the Custard Factory's cafes, independent shops, cinemas and arts venues, whilst celebrating 'the best bar snacks in the postcode' from The Old Crown.

Brindleyplace

If you are looking for somewhere to eat and drink, try Brindleyplace, a 10 minute walk from New Street Station, with tree-lined squares, international cuisine and canal-side views, Brindleyplace is one of Birmingham’s most exciting destinations.

Image of the Black Country Museum

Black Country Museum

Just outside of the city, The Black Country Living Museum is an award-winning open air museum that tells the story of one of the very first industrialised landscapes in Britain. Experience sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the Black Country as you explore shops, houses and industrial workshops rebuilt in our canal-side village and high streets.

Still looking for more to do, or places to go, find more at visitBirmingham.com

Places of interest outside of Birmingham

With an enviably central location in the heart of England, Birmingham offers fantastic opportunities to explore the history and culture of the UK.

Stratford Upon-Avon

A mediaeval market town in England’s West Midlands, Stratford-upon-Avon is the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare, and a must-see for visitors.

Immerse yourself in sixteenth-century life, inside the house where the world-renowned playwright was born and lived with his family. Visit his wife Anne Hathaway’s romantic cottage, or New Place where they enjoyed the benefits of his success for 19 years. And, of course, complete the experience with a play at one of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s three theatres.

Image of Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle

Soak up 1100 years of history in one day. The stone buildings in place at Warwick Castle today date from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, although records show a motte and bailey castle was first constructed here in 1068.

History buffs will love the sense of scale, the thoughtful exhibits and the extensive grounds, landscaped by Capability Brown. The regular programme of live shows featuring jousting, birds of prey and seasonal events provides fun for all.

Oxford

This historic university city is a must-see for any academic visitor to the UK. 38 colleges of the prestigious university are nestled within a city of buttery Cotswold stone and winding mediaeval streets.

Visit Magdalen College’s deer park and Christ Church Cathedral. Book a tour of the Bodleian to see Duke Humfrey’s remarkable fifteenth-century library. Take a punt along the Thames (here known as the Isis) for a relaxed view of those famous ‘dreaming spires’, then have a drink at the Eagle and Child where the ‘Inklings’ C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and friends read their manuscripts aloud.