Information about flights to Manchester
Once a bustling industrial city, famous for its cotton industry that earned it the nickname 'cottonopolis', Manchester is a flourishing world city that offers the best UK nightlife outside London. It showcases its profound industrial legacy through its rich architecture and often refers to itself as the nation's 'second city'.
Manchester Town Hall
One of the finest pieces of architecture in Britain, the Neo-Gothic style Manchester Town Hall was built in the late Victorian era to help showcase the extraordinary wealth that the city had acquired as as result of its success in the Industrial Revolution. Inside the building is the beautiful Great Hall and the Manchester Murals, comprising a dozen paintings by the talented English painter Ford Madox Brown.
The Trafford Centre
Part of the Greater Manchester metropolitan area, the Trafford Centre is one of the largest retail complexes in the country and welcomes tens of millions of visitors each year. The focal point of the shopping centre is The Orient, an enormous food court that contains several restaurants and opened in 2007, costing a colossal £26 million to build.
Museum of Science and Industry
Exploring the history of Manchester's textile industry and the emergence of modern technologies like computing, the Museum of Science and Technology is located on the site a former station, the Manchester Liverpool Road. This was the first railway station in the world and opened in 1830. The venue provides various interactive exhibits, and is home to a special 4D Theatre and a replica of the steam locomotive that once ran on the former railway line.
More places to visit
For nightlife, consider the All Star Lanes, a popular bowling venue with fabulous cocktails, or head to the 16th-century Oast House in Spinningfields for some excellent cask ale. You can also find an extensive variety of nightlife venues and restaurants around John Dalton Street and Princess Street, as well as further south around the Gay Village, Portland Street and Chinatown.
