Birmingham

Birmingham's surprising boast — more canals than Venice — is a legacy of the industrial age, and the regenerated waterways are now one of the nicest parts of a visit. At the heart of it, Gas Street Basin and the broad canalside of Brindleyplace and the Mailbox are lined with bars, restaurants and cafés, perfect for a waterside stroll or drink, with narrowboats moored along the towpaths. The modern city centre makes bold architectural statements: the futuristic Selfridges building at the Bullring — its sweeping form clad in thousands of aluminium discs — is an instant icon and the anchor of one of Britain's busiest shopping centres, while the dramatic golden filigree of the Library of Birmingham, one of the largest public libraries in Europe, overlooks Centenary Square with its rooftop garden and views. Victoria Square, with its grand council house and the 'Floozie in the Jacuzzi' fountain, and the acclaimed Symphony Hall (home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, one of the world's great orchestras) complete a confident, regenerated centre that's compact and walkable.

Birmingham is one of Britain's best food cities, and its calling card is the balti — the rich, fast-cooked curry served in its own thin steel dish, which was invented here in the 1970s and gave the city's 'Balti Triangle' (in Sparkbrook and Moseley) its name; eating a balti in one of its traditional, often BYOB restaurants is a Birmingham institution. The city's superb diversity — it's one of the youngest and most multicultural cities in Europe — fuels a food scene that ranges far beyond curry, from Caribbean and Middle Eastern to a remarkable cluster of Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurants (more than any UK city outside London for a time). The bustling Bullring Markets sell produce and street food, the digital-age Digbeth Dining Club and food halls gather independent traders, and the city's café and craft-beer scene thrives. Eating your way across Birmingham's communities and neighbourhoods is one of the most rewarding things to do here, and a window onto the modern, multicultural Britain the city embodies.

A short walk or tram ride from the centre, the Jewellery Quarter is one of Birmingham's most characterful districts — a historic manufacturing quarter that still has more jewellers than anywhere else in Europe, where Georgian and Victorian workshops continue to make and sell jewellery alongside galleries, independent bars and restaurants. The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter preserves a workshop frozen in time, and the area tells the story of the city's 'thousand trades' and its role in the industrial revolution. Across the city, that heritage runs deep: the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery holds the world's finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings (and the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold), the Coffin Works and Pen Museum recall vanished industries, and the Thinktank science museum and Soho House (home of the industrialist Matthew Boulton) explore the city's inventive past. For families, Cadbury World at Bournville — the model village built by the chocolate-making Quakers — is a popular day out. These layers of manufacturing history give Birmingham its identity beneath its modern face.

Birmingham's creative and nocturnal energy centres on Digbeth, the old industrial quarter that has become the city's coolest district — street art and murals (including a celebrated Banksy-era scene), the Custard Factory's studios, shops and venues, craft breweries, the Digbeth Dining Club's street food, and a lively music and club scene. The city's nightlife, theatres (the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Rep) and its big arena and concert venues keep it buzzing. And Birmingham's central location makes it a superb springboard for the Midlands and beyond: Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, with the playwright's birthplace and the Royal Shakespeare Company, is under an hour away; the magnificent medieval Warwick Castle and the cathedral city of Coventry are close; the honey-stone villages of the Cotswolds and the Ironbridge Gorge (the birthplace of industry) are within reach; and the wild Peak District lies to the north. With excellent rail links (London is under 90 minutes) and its own international airport, Birmingham is both a rewarding city break and a gateway to the heart of England.