Manchester Travel Guide
Travel guide to Manchester, England with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Manchester sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Manchester Overview
Manchester, in the north west of England is the country's second major city behind London. Historically an industrial town that grew exponentially during the industrial revolution at the end of the 19th century it has subsequently recreated itself as a commercial and cultural power.
The city is home to Manchester United, the biggest football team in the world and the originator of much new music, especially the "Madchester" scene from the late 80's, that fused the clubby house music with jangly guitar rock. Some of the best known exponents of the time were the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays.
Manchester is also where the Trafford Centre can be found, an enormous shopping centre that draws thousands of people from all around the north west area. It offers a wonderful selection of shops and stores with pretty much all tastes catered for. There are also a host of restaurants and even a cinema.
An area of Manchester called Salford Quays has seen a great amount of regeneration also, taking it from a rundown area of the city into what is now a major business and cultural area. There are many high rise office blocks, with their modern designs shining out, and next to these are the outstanding Imperial War Museum North and the Lowry art gallery, displaying the works of L S Lowry.
Manchester is a fantastic city to spend some time in, possessing as it does a great nightlife, with some of the country's best clubs here, arguably the best shopping outside London and a very cosmopolitan feeling.
Top Manchester Attractions
Manchester is full of fascinating places to see and things to do. The Lowry Centre for example is home to the many works of local artist L S Lowry, and nearby is the outstanding Imperial War Museum North, with its amazing architecture and evocative feeling it is a place everyone should visit.
Shopping in Manchester
The city centre is a great place for shopping, with a number of large shopping centres working in conjunction with many smaller shops around the streets of the city. There are many independent retailers here too who bring the best fashions to the city. The Trafford Centre is also here, situated out of the city centre itself it is the fifth largest shopping centre in Britain and draws millions of visitors each year.
Manchester Sporting Events
The city is home to two top Premiership football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City. United are the biggest team in the world and usually win the local encounters, although this has varied with City taking a good share of the spoils. There is also a fantastic sporting infrastructure in place here since the city hosted the Commmonwealth Games in 2002.
