Go on a shopping spree when you visit Birmingham City Center. Delve into the history of a city that was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution at superb museums. At night, varied performing arts events entertain at a collection of concert halls and theaters while restaurants tantalize with their international flavors.

Framed by major city attractions, Victoria Square and the adjoining Chamberlain Square are good places to start. Appreciate artwork, such as Antony Gormley’s Iron: Man and Dhruva Mistry’s The River (aka The Floozie in the Jacuzzi), on Victoria Square. Admire a Roman exterior and attend jazz, pop and rock shows at Birmingham Town Hall. The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery boasts the world’s most important catalogue of pre-Raphaelite paintings.

Walk to nearby Centenary Square for more live music at the Symphony Hall. The flamboyant Library of Birmingham is a lending library and exhibition space. Delve into the life of Shakespeare and the city’s industrial heritage.

St. Philip’s Cathedral is an exquisite example of baroque architecture and features beautiful stained-glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones. Join the locals that take a break from the city bustle on the lawns of Cathedral Square. Another impressive church is the neo-Gothic St. Martin in the Bullring.

If you are in Birmingham to shop then visit the interconnecting Grand Central and Bullring Shopping Centre where you’ll find over 200 fashion and household stores between them. More popular outlets, including Levis and Primark, line pedestrian-only High Street. City Arcade is the place for boutiques, independent traders and pinball.

For a fascinating insight into the Industrial Revolution, dinosaurs and the solar system, head to Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. Enjoy ballets, operas and West End shows at Birmingham Hippodrome. Feast on British, Caribbean and Indian delicacies in the Dining Quarter.

Birmingham City Centre is served by the Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill railway stations. Visit in May when the extravagant parades of the two-day Birmingham Pride festival pass through the streets.