10 Things to Do and See in Manchester

If you wish to discover an English city with a fascinating past yet a vibrant and modern appearance, Manchester is the ideal destination for an unusual weekend getaway. Here, its Roman origins, gothic and Victorian past, and the era of the Industrial Revolution, of which this city was the undisputed protagonist between the mid-1800s and early 1900s, blend perfectly.

Many believe that Manchester is a dull and gray city because it still shows signs of its industrial past as a shabby and polluted "coketown". However, this perception must be changed because today Manchester is a dynamic city full of art and culture, continuously evolving, capable of surprising visitors with its multiple faces that narrate its history.

The origins of Manchester date back to 79 A.D., when the ancient Romans built here a fortress called Mamucium or Mancunium, meaning "hill shaped like a breast". This explains why, even today, the inhabitants of Manchester are called "mancunians". The site where they settled is still clearly visible today in the Castlefield area, now a UNESCO heritage site.

In the 16th century, the Flemish initiated the tradition of wool and linen weaving in this city. By the 18th century, Manchester became the capital of the Industrial Revolution, with the construction of the first textile factories, and it became the third commercial port in England, thanks to transporting coal on its artificial canals.

Additionally, it was here that the first computers in history were invented by Alan Turing, the father of computer science, who has a famous memorial dedicated to him located in the city center.

After deindustrialization, Manchester discovered its tourist and cultural soul. Today, each of its neighborhoods has a distinct identity, attracting an ever-increasing number of visitors. Starting from its historic center, where the majestic cathedral and the splendid neo-gothic town hall coexist with the commercial district, where shopping can be indulged. Vintage, music, and street art enthusiasts will find their ideal dimension in the Northern Quarter, the alternative and bohemian neighborhood, while the romantic area of Castlefield is dedicated to those who love walking along the river canals, imagining the city's distant origins. But in a multiracial and welcoming city like Manchester, there is also an entire neighborhood dedicated to the LGBT community: the colorful and lively Gay Village, where Manchester Pride is held every year.

On this page, we recommend the 10 must-do and see activities during your visit to Manchester.

1

The Manchester Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, is one of the most fascinating places in the city center due to its splendid neo-gothic architecture that characterizes the urban panorama.

Considered the most significant Anglican place of worship in Manchester, the church was built starting in 1215 in a late medieval style, while in 1421 the Collegiate was completed in English perpendicular gothic style, featuring suggestive wooden interiors and magnificent stained glass windows.

In the Victorian era, some modifications were made to make the church more modern, following the neo-gothic architectural style.

During the bombings of World War II, the cathedral building was severely damaged and the stunning stained glass was destroyed. These were replaced after the war, along with other restoration interventions that lasted about twenty years.

Visiting this fascinating cathedral means walking through the widest nave of all churches in England and admiring, inside, notable wooden sculptures and artifacts like the pulpit, the choir, the stalls, and the canopies. Don't miss the Angel Stone, a sandstone slab depicting an angel holding a scroll and testifying to the existence of a pre-existing church dating back to approximately 700 A.D.

2

The Manchester Town Hall, or the Municipal Building of Manchester, is the true symbol of the city, with its imposing and distinctive neo-gothic architectural structure dominating the central Albert Square.

Sumptuous, elegant, and majestic, the Manchester Town Hall is considered the most representative building of Victorian neo-gothic architecture in the UK, as well as the most important monument in Manchester. Designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse, its construction began in 1868 and was completed in 1877.

The most characteristic element of this magnificent structure is the clock tower, standing 85 meters tall, which, due to its neo-gothic style, resembles London's famous Big Ben. The bell inside is named Great Abel. The other elements of the main façade represent the main aspects of English neo-gothic architecture, such as the wide and long windows and the two columns flanking the main entrance that emerge externally.

The Manchester Town Hall surprises its visitors inside as well, where one can visit the Great Hall, the ceremonial room described by Victorian critic John Ruskin as "the most beautiful gothic chamber in Europe." Here, one can admire the famous Manchester Murals painted by English artist Ford Madox Brown, 12 paintings that decorate the walls of the hall recounting the history of Manchester. In the Sculpture Hall, visitors can appreciate the busts of the city's most representative characters.

During the Christmas period, the Manchester Town Hall becomes the enchanting and magical setting for the Christmas markets held right in Albert Square, in front of the building's main façade.

3

You can't say you've visited or experienced Manchester without seeing Castlefield, the only place where the two souls of the city perfectly merge: its distant origins and industrial character.

Castlefield is the area of Manchester that includes a series of artificial canals once used to transport goods and coal to different parts of Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution, the period of the city's peak development.

The most important canals that flow into the River Irwell are the Bridgewater Canal, built in 1761 to facilitate the transport of coal from the Worsley mines to Manchester, the Rochdale Canal, and the Manchester Ship Canal, from which a network of smaller canals spreads throughout the city. One of the most important streets in Manchester, Canal Street in the heart of the Gay Village, is named after the Rochdale Canal, the waterway that crosses the entire area.

Here, in this predominantly residential area, among red brick buildings and abandoned establishments, steel and concrete bridges, railway viaducts and steam boats, amid the sound of flowing water and the clattering of trains, you can live, feel, and hear the "true" Manchester, glimpse its industrial face, but also immerse yourself in its distant past.

No one would ever imagine that it was right in Castlefield that the ancient Romans settled in 79 A.D., building the fort of Mamucium or Mancunium, which gave Manchester its current name and whose remains with crenellated towers can still be admired today. In short, Castlefield (the contracted version of "Castle in the field") is the place where the city was founded and once formed part of the Roman province of Britannia. This is why this area was designated in 1982 by UNESCO as an "Urban Heritage Park", a protected area due to the presence of archaeological evidence from the Roman past and the more recent remnants of Manchester's industrial history, which have contributed to making it the city we know today.

Castlefield is also considered one of the most picturesque and relaxing areas of the city, far from the chaos of the center, to be enjoyed especially at sunset, when the sunlight reflects off the waters of the canals and one can stop for a beer in one of the various bars and pubs lining the pedestrian paths, livening up the area with their outdoor tables.

4

The Northern Quarter represents the alternative and bohemian soul of Manchester, a neighborhood where street art with its colorful murals, vintage clothing shops, independent music, and a handful of local bars and cafés reign.

Bounded by Piccadilly Gardens and the Ring Road, the Northern Quarter is the area of Manchester where the city's first textile factories were born in 1783, the main hub of industrial development.

Destroyed during World War II, it only began to regenerate between the '80s and '90s, finding new vitality in music, which is still a significant presence in this area of the city.

Today, the Northern Quarter is dotted with record and vinyl shops, art and design galleries, vintage clothing and shoe boutiques, bars, pubs, breweries, and venues where live music can be heard, concentrating the most vibrant nightlife in Manchester. Alternatively, one can stroll through its streets to admire incredible **street art and graffiti, stop for food and drinks at low prices, and wander in discovery of a varied and multicultural populace, where no one is the same, everyone expresses their personality just like each area of Manchester.

5

In the capital of the industrial revolution, a museum dedicated to Manchester's glorious past is a must, a city that continues to represent an important evolving technological hub.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is entirely dedicated to the scientific discoveries and the technological and industrial development that determined Manchester's primacy during the 19th century.

The site chosen to host the museum is truly emblematic: it is the former Liverpool Road station, the oldest existing railway station. A 19th-century building with a suggestive atmosphere that takes visitors back in time, preparing them for an interesting visit to the museum.

The MOSI includes a permanent exhibition featuring areas dedicated to the history of Manchester and the Liverpool-Manchester railway, underground Manchester, as well as thematic areas on Electricity, Communications, Textiles, Air, and Space. Visitors can thus trace the industrialization process of Manchester by admiring locomotives, trains, carriages, airplanes, marine vessels, cotton processing machinery, and other artifacts designed and created in this city.

There are also multimedia and interactive sections that illustrate some revolutionary ideas and discoveries that literally changed the world, from the art of weaving and knitting to nuclear fission.

6

If you are a book lover and appreciate the charm of neo-gothic architecture, you cannot miss visiting the John Rylands Library, an incredible library that will enchant you just by looking at it from the outside.

The John Rylands Library was opened to the public in 1900 at the behest of widow Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her husband, John Rylands, a famous English philanthropist. The magnificent Victorian neo-gothic style building makes this monumental library look very much like an imposing cathedral or a sumptuous castle.

Inside, you can freely visit the wonderful rooms where you will breathe in the aroma of wood, ancient books, and history, immersed in magical half-light. The collection of books, manuscripts, and works of art in the John Rylands Library is of great prestige and includes pieces from every era. There are 250,000 books and over a million manuscripts. Among the most precious pieces: the St. John Fragment, a fragment of papyrus belonging to the New Testament written in Greek; the 1476 edition of Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales".

Today, the library is part of the University of Manchester and is considered one of the largest collections of books and manuscripts in the UK. In addition to participating in guided tours, workshops, and exhibitions, visitors can freely access the library just to read a book or relax in the café.

7

The Manchester Art Gallery is the public museum of the city of Manchester and includes one of the most important art collections in the UK. The neoclassical building housing the museum was built in 1823, the founding year of the Royal Manchester Institution, an academic society that decided to open its art galleries to the public about ten years later.

The collection of the Manchester Art Gallery, set up across three floors, includes about 25,000 works spanning six centuries of art history, from classical art to contemporary avant-gardes, comprising oil paintings, sculptures, drawings, miniatures, prints, and decorative objects, furniture, and ceramics.

The heart of the collection represents British works from the Victorian era and the Pre-Raphaelite movement, the most important movement in the history of English art. But in the museum's halls, some masterpieces by English impressionists and romantics such as Turner and Constable, the French Degas, Gauguin, Renoir, and the Italians Canaletto, Luca Giordano, Guido Reni, and many others can also be admired.

The most interesting aspect of the Manchester Art Gallery, beyond its collection, is the extremely educational approach towards visitors. Each work is accompanied by a clear caption, and the display method allows even those with less art knowledge to learn about the artists, their masterpieces, and the main aspects of the various artistic movements.

8

Football fans come to Manchester for one particular reason: to visit Old Trafford, the legendary stadium of Manchester United.

The Manchester-football connection is now inseparable, and in this city, the passion for one of the most important football teams in the world has materialized in the construction of **a stadium nicknamed "The Theatre of Dreams," a true temple of football where all players dream of playing and where all fans hope to watch at least one match in their lifetime.

Old Trafford is located about 5 km from Manchester city center, in the town of Trafford, where it was built in 1910 and renovated in 2006.

It is indeed a record-breaking stadium because it is the second largest stadium in England (75,000 capacity) after Wembley Stadium, and the third in the UK, as well as being the only English stadium awarded five stars by UEFA.

The Manchester United stadium is also a museum characterized by exhibitions and interactive displays, where visitors can discover the history of the team, its most famous figures, like players and managers, and admire all the trophies and cups.

A visit to Old Trafford in Manchester will be a truly unique experience because, in addition to enjoying breathtaking views from the stands of this immense stadium, it is also possible to access areas usually not open to the public, such as the bench area, the locker rooms, and the tunnel through which players enter the field.

9

One of the reasons tourists choose to visit Manchester is for the shopping. This city offers its visitors an incredible variety of shopping areas, providing different types of shopping to meet any need.

For city shopping enthusiasts, there are King Street, Cross Street, and Market Street, three key streets located in the heart of Manchester, between the Spinningfields and Central Retail District neighborhoods.

Here you can find stores of the major brands as well as budget options, and the most well-known English department stores, walking along elegant and refined streets and admiring the neoclassical buildings.

Those who love alternative shopping can head to the Northern Quarter, where you can browse through vintage fashion boutiques and quirky design shops.

This neighborhood is truly unmissable for anyone looking for original and exclusive gift ideas, but also for those wishing to learn about the artistic and musical culture of the city.

For fans of shopping malls, two must-see stops are the Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Centre. The Manchester Arndale is a large shopping center in the city center, loved by tourists because it is just a short walk from Manchester's points of interest and bus, tram, and train stops.

Inside, there are shops of various types and the most important restaurant chains. But the true temple of shopping in Manchester is the Trafford Centre, a globally famous shopping center of monumental size, greatly impacting aesthetically with its eclectic architectural style inspired by Baroque and Rococo.

Inside, there are over 200 stores, 60 restaurants, and 20 cinemas. Although it is located outside the city, the center is easily accessible by Metrolink to Stretford station, from which a special shuttle departs.

10

English cuisine is known not to be among the most renowned worldwide, and even in Manchester, restaurants, cafés, bistros, and food courts offer mainly international dishes. However, it is in this city located in the heart of England where you can discover the true traditional English cuisine, savoring typical dishes and really interesting culinary specialties.

In Manchester, you will find, of course, the most representative dishes of English culture: the pie, a savory pie filled with meat, vegetables, and cheese; the black pudding, a sausage made from pig's blood and meat; fish & chips, the classic English dish that includes battered and fried fish with a side of fries.

Among local specialties: the Manchester Egg, a new dish invented by chef Ben Holden in 2010, consisting of a sausage and black pudding ball coated and fried containing a hard-boiled egg; the Manchester Caviar, a pea purée that accompanies various dishes like meat and fish & chips; and the Lancashire hotpot, a lamb stew with potatoes and onions.

For sweet dishes, you must try the Eccles Cakes, made of buttery puff pastry filled with currants; and the Manchester Tart, a tart filled with raspberry jam and topped with coconut flakes.

H

Unlike other English cities and even the capital London, Manchester is quite an affordable location and you can easily find accommodations at reasonable prices.

If you wish to stay in the center of Manchester during the low season, you can find 3-star hotels or bed and breakfasts offering double rooms ranging from $40 to $70 per night, while in the high season prices start from $50/60 up to $80/90 per night.

Manchester is a city well connected thanks to its extensive public transport network, so if you want to save money, you can opt for a hotel or bed and breakfast in other areas, such as the picturesque Northern Quarter, with prices starting from $30 per night in a double room.