Introduction
Manchester is a city in the north-west of England, situated in a bowl
shaped land area. The city centre is located on the River Irwell.
Planning for a vacation in Manchester is a great idea. Manchester is
one of the largest cities of England and contains a rich cultural and
traditional values, worth to see and feel. Great places to see, enjoy
and stay make Manchester a city for tourists? place of interest.
History
The Manchester area was settled in Roman times: General Agricola called
a fort he set up there Mamucium, meaning 'breast-shaped hill.' A
facsimile of a Roman fort exists in Castlefield, in the city centre.
Manchester remained a small market town until the Industrial
Revolution, beginning in the 18th century. Its damp climate was ideal
for cotton processing and with the development of steam-powered engines
for spinning and weaving, the cotton industry quickly developed
throughout the region. Manchester quickly grew into the most important
industrial centre in the world. In 1838 Manchester, like many of the
largest towns during this period, was incorporated as a municipal
borough. City status for the borough was conferred in 1853.
Recent history
In 15t June 1996 criminals (PIRA) attacked the City Centre and the
consequent reconstruction spurred a massive regeneration of the city
centre, with complexes such as the Printworks and the Triangle creating
new city focal points for both shopping and entertainment. Since the
regeneration after the 1996 PIRA attack and leading up to the XVII
Commonwealth Games Manchester has changed significantly. Old 1960s
focal points in the city centre were torn down in favour of a new more
modern, up market look. Some areas, like Hulme, have undergone
extensive regeneration programs and many million-pound lofthouse
apartments have since been developed to cater for its growing business
class community.
Place of Interest
Structures of interest in Manchester include:
- The Corn Exchange (now the Triangle shopping centre)
- The G-Mex Centre
- Imperial War Museum North
- Manchester Central Library
- St Peter?s Square
- Manchester Town Hall
- Midland Bank Building
- The Midland Hotel
- Piccadilly Gardens
- The Portico Library
- The Royal Exchange
- South Manchester Synagogue
- Sunlight House
- Trinity Bridge over River Irwell
- Victoria Station
- The Victoria Baths
The success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games is commemorated by B of the
Bang, Britain?s tallest sculpture, located near the City of Manchester
Stadium.
Transport
Manchester
International Airport, formerly Manchester Ringway Airport, is the
third busiest airport in the UK in terms of passengers per year and is
served by a dedicated railway station. The city has two main city
centre stations Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly linking
Manchester to other places in the United Kingdom. High speed trains to
London are run from Manchester Piccadilly by Virgin Trains.
Manchester and the surrounding area have an extensive bus network, with
regular services in and out of the city connecting to all the satellite
towns and villages.
Manchester has a tram system called Metrolink. Operated by Serco,
Metrolink links the city centre to Altrincham, Eccles and Bury. It is a
high-frequency service, with trams running every 6?12 minutes.
Universities
Manchester is home to two universities: The University of Manchester
and Manchester Metropolitan University. The former is the largest
full-time non-collegiate university in Britain. Together with the
University of Bolton and the Royal Northern College of Music and
University Centre Oldham all nearby, these give the area a student
population in excess of 73,000, one of the largest in Europe.
Sports
Sport and especially football are an important part of Manchester
culture. Two major football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester
City, bear the city?s name.
Museums & Art Galleries
There are many art galleries in Manchester, notably ?The Lowry? in
Salford Quays, which houses works by the Salford painter L. S. Lowry,
?The Athenaeum?, ?Salford Museum and Art Gallery?, ?Manchester Art
Gallery? etc. Manchester has some great museums like Greater Manchester
Police Museum, Imperial War Museum North, Manchester Jewish Museum and
Manchester Museum. These museums are the lively example earlier and
recent history and one of the main tourist attractions.
Shopping
Manchester has a number of busy squares, plazas and shopping streets.
In the city center Deansgate has many shops, including the department
stores, pubs and bars. There are two large shopping centers; the
Arndale Centre in the middle of the city and the out-of-town Trafford
Centre which includes food hall, multi-screen cinema and Namco games
centre. Other shopping centers include the Triangle which caters for a
more youthful and up market clientele and the Royal Exchange Centre.
Food & Drink
Manchester has a vibrant and exciting range of restaurants, bars and
clubs, spanning the famous curry mile in Rusholme to traditional
?grub?, China Town, modern bars and bistros at Deansgate Lock in the
city centre. Regional favorites include the Eccles cake and the
traditional pie capital of the UK is supposedly at the heart of Wigan,
15 miles outside the city. There is a Hard Rock Cafe, chain restaurants
such as Wagamama and bars that include Waxy O?Connor and The Living
Room. Other, independent restaurants, bars and clubs can be found in
the Northern Quarter area of the city centre. Manchester is also famous
for its beer. Although ?The Cream of Manchester?, Boddingtons has left
the city, there are still many international, local and independent
breweries operating in the Greater Manchester area.
Hotels & Accommodation
Whether you are visiting Manchester on business or just for fun, you
may need to find accommodation in Manchester and stay overnight in a B
& B or a hotel.
Manchester has a number of hotels in different locations, from the
airport to city centre. These hotels can be divided in different
categories, from posh to affordable cheap deals, for travellers or for
businessmen. Cheap hotels in Manchester are available to make your stay
in the city enjoyable. Here is a selection:
- Quality Hotel Manchester
- Jarvis Piccadilly
Hotel
- Premier Apartments Manchester
- Days Serviced Apartments Manchester
- Britannia Sachas Hotel
- The Gardens Hotel
- The Merchants Hotel
- Mitre Hotel
- Alias Hotel Rossetti
- Thistle Manchester
- Stay Inn Manchester
- Arora International Manchester
- Novotel Manchester Centre
- Westlynne Hotel
- Atrium by Bridge Street
- The Midland - A QHotel
- Copperheads Hotel
- Radisson Edwardian Manchester
- Palace Hotel
- Jurys Manchester Inn
- Great John Street Hotel
- The Castlefield Hotel
- Campanile Hotel Salford
- The Manchester Whitehouse Hotel
- The Grafton Hotel
Airport Hotels
For those who like to stay in hotels within 5 miles distance from
Airport, here is a selection of Manchester
Airport hotels:
- Holiday Inn
Manchester Airport
- Etrop Grange
- Stanneylands Hotel
- Best Western
Belfry House Hotel
- Thistle Manchester Airport
- Cheadle House
- Britannia Ashley Hotel
- The Village Hotel & Leisure Club Cheadle
- Quality Hotel Altrincham
- The Galleon Hotel
& Leisure Club
- Oasis Hotel
- The Britannia Country House Hotel
- Didsbury House
- Eleven Didsbury Park
- The Belmore Hotel
- The Bramhall County Hotel
- De Vere Mottram Hall Hotel