Birmingham - Highlights
Birmingham’s main sights cluster in the city centre but the suburbs also boast some gems. Venture into leafy Edgbaston for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens or head south to Cadbury World in Bournville.
In the city centre, admire Victoria Square’s flowing fountain – known locally as ‘the floozy in the Jacuzzi’ – before heading to Chamberlain Square’s Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, complete with clock tower, for Pre-Raphaelite art and cake in the gallery’s Edwardian Tea Room. Head eastwards to Millennium Point for a futuristic experience in Birmingham’s science museum, Thinktank, and 3D IMAX cinema.
Outside the city centre, Greater Birmingham districts range from student area Selly Oak, located near the University campus, to arty Moseley, former home of J.R.R. Tolkein, with its independent boutiques and bars. Wander among blossoming flowerbeds in Edgbaston’s Birmingham Botanical Gardens and eat, drink and breathe chocolate at Bournville’s Cadbury World. Affluent Solihull is good for a day trip, with its picturesque villages and gardens.
During school holidays, advance bookings are strongly recommended for the National Sea Life Centre and Cadbury World.
