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Birmingham, a landlocked city with zero coastline and questionable British weather, has long drawn comparisons with iconic European holiday hotspots in fairer climes. Its many miles of canal – 35 to be precise – that were cut in the 18th and 19th century, primarily to transport heavy goods such as coal and iron around the region, once lauded it the nickname “The Venice of the North” – alluding to the fact that the city has more miles of canal than Venice.
Although flattering, for all its redeeming features, La Serenissima this the city not. Us Brummies do love a tongue-in-cheek joke, though.
Then there’s that perception that the UK’s second city is more concrete jungle than actual jungle. You won’t find either kind of jungle here, but you may be surprised to learn that Birmingham is indeed greener than you think. It boasts the oh-so-tenuous title of having more trees than recent 2024 Olympic Games host city Paris, who did their best to follow on from Birmingham’s record-breaking Commonwealth Games in 2022.
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Such tired Birmingham jibes are usually propagated by those whose most recent experiences of visiting the city include one (or all) of the following: once changing trains on a dark platform inside New Street Station in 2001; getting lost inside Cadbury World as a child and being greeted by a bloke in a faded Freddo Frog costume; or regularly getting stuck in traffic near the RAC control centre on the M6.
Despite what you might think of the place after tackling Spaghetti Junction, Birmingham is in fact incredibly green. It’s so green, in fact, it has 591 parks and green spaces over some 8,000 sprawling acres – this is more than any other European city. New Street Station has since had a glow-up, by the way.
Its most recent sunnier comparison draws comparisons with another holiday hotspot – this time the Italian capital. ‘Birmingham or Rome?’is often a hot topic over on X/Twitter, where I draw joy from others’ discovering that a little corner of Italy exists in the heart of England. It’s largely thanks to the classic revival style of our Town Hall, (which was modelled on a Roman temple and wouldn’t look lost beside the Pantheon in Rome), a recently restored Gothic Revival-style fountain with gin-clear water mimicking the glistening Med, on a good day, and European-style al fresco dining outside popular bars like Purecraft. On a slow summer’s afternoon, there’s nowhere I’d rather sit in the city.
Whisper it, but Birmingham might just be worthy of a late summer weekend away. Don’t just take my word for it though – in a recent report of Google data gathered by West Midlands Railway, searches for terms such as ‘cool things to do in Birmingham’ and ‘things to do in Digbeth’ have rocketed by more than 5,000 per cent in the last 30 days.
It’s not difficult to see why. Birmingham has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, let alone decades. Investment in public realm has seen modern squares and high-rise developments blend in seamlessly with historic buildings like the aforementioned Town Hall, and its neighbours the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Council House, an adjoined city landmark since 1879 and one of Britain’s finest examples of Victorian classicism architecture.
And hosting the Commonwealth Games two years ago has done wonders for the city – even our endearing Brummie accent, which has been bruised over the years by dopey handyman Benny from TV soap Crossroads, and Cat Deeley’s impressions on 1990s children’s sketch show, SMTV Live.
Adversely, visits to Birmingham have increased in recent years thanks to the vicious gang that used to roam the streets of Digbeth in the early 1900s: the Peaky Blinders. A film is currently in production in director Steven Knight’s new Digbeth-based film Studio, Loc, while work has also started on the BBC’s brand new Birmingham-based HQ next door.
The city’s waterways, portrayed as murky in Peaky Blinders and in stark juxtaposition when compared to Venice, have cleaned up their act, too. Long gone are the days of transporting coal; today they’re seen more as urban parks, with runners, cyclers, walkers, kayakers and stand-up-paddleboarders using them. Yes – we’ve come a long way. Kayak tours, which float along otherwise inaccessible parts of Birmingham, start from the Roundhouse, a grade II-listed, horseshoe-shaped building that’s served many uses over the years, from stables to storage. Volunteers are also committed to clearing rubbish from the canals surrounding the Roundhouse, from where you can also take heritage tours of the city on a working 1930s narrowboat (canal barge). Who needs a coastline?
If it’s sports you’re after, we have that in spades too. The sporting world actually has a lot to thank Birmingham for, in particular Aston Villa, as its then-chairman William McGregor founded the first football league in 1888. Aston Villa remains one of the world’s most historic football clubs and are currently playing Champions League football. Lawn tennis was also invented here in 1859 at Edgbaston Priory – the world’s oldest tennis club, memberships available – while Edgbaston is also home to the best cricket atmosphere in the world, according to England men’s test match captain Ben Stokes.
And all of this without even mentioning Black Sabbath, the balti or the Jewellery Quarter; I’ve barely scratched the surface. Venice of the North? Nah, bab. Birmingham of the West Midlands.
Where to stay
Look no further than The Grand Hotel for a slice of chic living in the city. Celebrities like Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp have opted for the city’s landmark five-star abode which offers everything from spacious doubles with comfy beds and luxurious suites with marble bathrooms and in-room table football.
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For something more casual try Bloc Hotel in the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter, whose modern, compact rooms offer a more budget-friendly option without lacking in amenities.
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How to get there
Birmingham is accessible from all corners of the UK by train, with New Street being its main railway station. Trains from London take around 90 minutes on average, and one hour 45 mins from Manchester.
National Express coach services run from across the country to Birmingham Coach Station, a five-minute walk from the Bullring shopping centre.
Read more: The UK’s best road trips, from the North Coast 500 to the Atlantic Highway
