What is there to do in Birmingham, England? The city centre isn’t very big, andone day is enough to see the main attractions.

However, thanks to Birmingham’s convenient location in the heart of England, it makes an excellent base for travelling around the country.

Canals: Birmingham – the Venice of the North

The city’s undisputed main attraction is its intricate network of canals, which stretches for over 35 miles in and around Birmingham.

That’s more than the total length of all the canals in the historic centre of the famous Italian city of Venice!

This is also the origin of one of Birmingham’s most common nicknames – the Venice of the North – which has become established for England’s second-largest city in much the same way as for Stockholm, Amsterdam orÅlesund in Norway.

The purpose of the canals

The history of waterways in the West Midlands dates back to the 18th century and the Industrial Revolution.

The ingenious system of canals linking the cities of Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton was formerly used primarily to transport coal and iron ore. These commodities were mined on a massive scale in the region.

At the height of mining activity, the network spanned over Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) over 160 miles, or 257 km.

The canals today

The area around Birmingham has long since ceased to be the coal-mining heart of England, yet over 100 miles (160 km) of canals have been preserved, 35 miles of which are within Birmingham itself.

The areas surrounding many of them have been converted into walking and cycling paths, and special narrowboats glide along the water’s surface, serving tourists as well as locals for leisurely cruises.

Find a hotel by the canal

Enjoy short walks through Birmingham’s former industrial heartland, where the buildings have been converted into breweries, restaurants, exhibition halls and aquariums.

However, you can easily plan a full-day walking tour along the canals.

Map of the canals

We’ve created a map of all the canals in Birmingham that we’ve visited in person and divided them into three categories:

• City Center – the best and most beautiful promenades can be found right in the city centre, particularly around Brindleyplace and along the locks at Cambrian Wharf.
• Natural Walks – walks outside the city centre, where the canals are often surrounded by trees and parks.
• Industrial Walks – walks outside the city centre in a post-industrial setting with many brownfield sites and a very interesting atmosphere, particularly on dreary autumn days.

Boat trips along the canals

Birmingham’s canals aren’t just great for walks; you can also take a trip on a pleasure boat.

Boat trips are operated by Sherborne Wharf, which offers two different types of cruise:

• Water Bus – a water taxi operating on a short circular route: Brindley Place – Sherborne Wharf – King Edward’s Wharf – Gas Street Basin – Mailbox
  • Daily all year round from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm, every 30 minutes
  • 4 gbp 1 gbp per stop
  • Further details: sherbornewharf.co.uk/waterbus
• Daily Trips – sightseeing cruises on long, narrow boats that navigate all the navigable canals within the city centre
  • Daily from Easter until the end of April; weekends only during the winter
  • Cruise duration: 65 minutes
  • 10 gbp
  • Further details: sherbornewharf.co.uk/daily-public-boat-trips

Shopping

Birmingham is one of the top destinations for all shopaholics. 

Virtually the entire city centre is taken up by a vast network of shopping centres forming the famous Bullring district.

With over 150 shops and 40 food courts, you could easily spend the whole weekend shopping for luxury fashion, electronics, jewellery, watches, toys and much more.

The main pedestrianised area, New Street, also leads off from the Bullring.

For several years running, the Bullring has been the most visited shopping district in the whole of the UK.

Culture, museums and galleries

Birmingham is rapidly transforming from an industrial city into one of England’s major cultural centres.

Whilst you’ll find far more famous museums and galleries in London, just an hour away, concerts, popular shows and other cultural events are practically a daily occurrence in Birmingham.

Check out the latest list of events on the official tourism websitevisitbirmingham.com/whats-on.

Book a flight to Birmingham

Day trips in the surrounding area

Birmingham is superbly situated in the heart of England and makes the perfect base for exploring the region.

Have you found a cheap flight to Birmingham, but would rather visit another English city? No problem. There are frequent bus and train services from Birmingham to the following cities, for example:

• London – 1 hour
• Liverpool – 1.5 hours
• Manchester – 1.5 hours
• Bristol – 1.5 hours
• Cardiff – 2 hours

Buy a train ticket – thetrainline.com