Where to stay in Birmingham

See

Birmingham doesn't have a reputation for being especially picturesque, but there is a lot of interesting architecture in the city centre that the shops and crowds sometimes obscure. For such a (relatively) large population centre, the countryside (in the form of country parks such as the Lickey Hills, Waseley Hills, etc.) is surprisingly close. For a place with a strong industrial heritage, Birmingham does not have the large range of historical attractions you may expect; however, this is offset by the arts being extremely well-represented.

• Aston Hall
• Barber Institute of Fine Arts
• Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
• IKON Gallery
• Lapworth Museum of Geology
• Sarehole Mill
• Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
• Soho House
• Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
• Birmingham Back to Backs
• The Coffin Works
• Blakesley Hall

Do

Birmingham hosts some of the largest events, exhibitions and conferences in the country, which may or may not be of interest to a visitor.

• National Exhibition Centre
• Arena Birmingham
• International Convention Centre (ICC)
• The Custard Factory
• Symphony Hall
• CBSO Centre
• O2 Institute
• O2 Academy Birmingham
• Alexandra Theatre
• Birmingham Hippodrome
• Crescent Theatre
• Old Rep Theatre

Eat

Birmingham is the balti capital of England, and the balti was invented here in 1977. It is a type of curry served in a thin, pressed-steel wok called a "balti bowl". The much-promoted "balti triangle" covers around 50 restaurants on Ladypool Road and Stratford Road in Sparkbrook (often referred to as Little Somalia), about 2 miles south of the city centre. Travel West Midlands has a deal with eight of the larger eateries whereby you can get a 15% discount for travelling by bus, pick up a Balti Triangle by Bus leaflet for full details. Birmingham has a large student population, and the usual cottage industries have sprung up in campus areas to cater for their lack of cash.

Drink

Birmingham is home to many historic pubs. If you are a real ale aficionado, there are several excellent pubs to visit offering a wide selection of cask ales (bitters, milds, India Pale Ales, etc) and stouts. Gin and tonics and ciders are also widely available. Highlights include The Wellington (Bennets Hill), The Shakeseare (Summer Row), another The Shakeseare (Lower Temple Street), The Old Contemptables (Edmund Street, near Snow Hill Station), and the Post Office Vaults (New Street).

Stay safe

As with the rest of the UK, in any emergency call 999 or 112 (from a landline if you can) and ask for ambulance, fire or police when connected. For non-emergency police matters, such as reporting crimes after they have occurred, lost property, etc.) call 101. In general, despite its bad reputation, Birmingham is a safe city. However, like most large cities, there are safer and more dangerous areas. Certain suburbs (see below) have had their share of knife crime problems, but these are extremely unlikely to affect you unless you make yourself part of the larger drug gang problem. Avoid any offers of cheap drugs as you might be lured into a secluded place and then robbed.