Birmingham - A Closer Look at the Culture, Local Art & History

1 million

+44 (national), (0) 121 (city)

Marketing Birmingham, Level L2, Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, +44 (0) 121 202 5099,

Website

Jewel of the West Midlands, Birmingham is a thriving, cosmopolitan city, built on a proud industrial heritage and unique fusion of cultures.

Mucked about with in the 1960s to suit motorcars rather than people, Birmingham's city centre underwent massive regeneration in 2001-2003 with the £500 million redevelopment of Bullring shopping centre. The flagship buildings are the radical, aluminium disc-clad Selfridges and the amazing shell-shaped Spiral Café whose structure is based on the Fibonacci sequence. The nearby Jewellery Quarter is the city's Georgian heart and an architecturally-listed district.

Birmingham boasts numerous family attractions, a buzzing nightlife, great cultural venues and was voted 'Curry Capital of Britain' in 2005. Brum's curry houses made the 'Balti' famous. This delicious Kashmiri curry is cooked and served in a wide metal bowl.

Over the past 20 years, Birmingham has cornered the exhibition and conference market and is a big business travel destination thanks to the packed calendar of the NEC (National Exhibition Centre) and the ICC (International Convention Centre).

Thanks to the enlightened civic work of the Quakers, Birmingham is also one of the UK's greenest cities. Wander the parks, follow the Tolkien Trail highlighting JRR Tolkien's extensive links with a region whose scenery and landmarks provided inspiration for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or visit nearby Warwick Castle where the region's medieval heritage is on display.

Summers are warm (20°C) and winters are cool and wet (1°C).

This Jacobean house is one of the finest examples of 17th-century architecture in Britain with impressive exhibits and gardens. There is good disabled access and a tearoom.

Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham (bus 104 to Litchfield Road), tel: +44 (0) 121 327 0062. Open Apr-Oct, Tue-Sun. Free admission.

Birmingham's famous 17th-century water mill is open for tours. In bygone days, it inspired the young JRR Tolkein who often played in the grounds.

Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, Birmingham (bus 11 to Cole Bank Road), tel: +44 (0) 121 777 6612. Open Apr-Oct, Tue-Sun.

The UK's first and largest inland aquarium has 3,000 marine animals. See them swim past as you walk through 360-degree, transparent underwater tunnels.

The Water's Edge, Brindleyplace (city centre), Birmingham, +44 (0) 121 643 6777. Open daily.

This 5,000 square-foot gallery in the Jewellery Quarter is devoted to exhibiting the latest contemporary art. They also deal in signed works by Warhol, Dali and Picasso and hold the world's biggest collection of music-related fine art including signed pieces by Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd etc..

94-108 Northwood Street, Birmingham (bus to Snow Hill Station), tel: +44 (0) 121 236 5800. Open Tue-Sat. Free admission.

Explore JRR Tolkien's extensive links with the region, taking in the mysterious Moseley Bog and the 96-foot tall Perrott's Folly and waterworks tower in Edgbaston which were Tolkien's inspiration for the Two Towers.

Pick up a free leaflet from the tourist information centre, or for guided tours call Millennium Point on +44 (0) 121 202 2200.

This interactive Museum of Science and Discovery has ten fascinating galleries devoted to us, our world and the way we live in it. It is located in the new Millennium Point complex, next to the IMAX cinema.

Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham (city centre), tel: +44 (0) 121 202 2200. Open daily.