Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights Liverpool's best incentives for leaving your hotel room, from art and culture to tours of the docks on amphibian vehicles; we've even found the best urban walks and picnic spots.
- Viewpoint
- Standing 101 metres tall, Liverpool Cathedral’s Vestey Tower (www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk) will give you panoramic vistas across city, reaching as far as the Welsh hills to the west and the Pennines to the east. You’ll have to take two lifts up to the bell tower (which houses the 14.5 ton Great George bell) and then climb 108 stairs to the viewing platform. Monday–Saturday, 10am–3.30pm (extended in summer). Sunday hours are limited, depending on services and special events; ring +44 (0)151 709 6271 for details.
- Arts and culture
- Liverpool – 2008’s European Capital of Culture – has some of the best art galleries in the north of England; the Walker Art Gallery (www.thewalker.org.uk) has works by Rembrandt, Freud and Hockney. Housed in a beautifully converted warehouse in Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool (www.tate.org.uk/liverpool) has an excellent collection of modern and contemporary art. If fine art doesn’t tickle your fancy, go to www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk for a round-up of the other cultural stars.
- Something for nothing
- Pier Head, in the heart of Liverpool Docks, gives you the best view of the Three Graces: the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port
- Shopping
- There are enough designer outlets in town to satisfy even the most demanding footballers’ wives. Flannels at the Met Quarter centre on Whitechapel (www.metquarter.com) stocks lines by Italy’s own fab four (Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Versace) as well as frock stars Etro, Issa and Diane von Furstenburg. Cavern Shopping centre on Mathew Street (www.cavernshopping.com) is another hotspot of trend-alert boutiques – a bulging bag from Cricket is a badge of honour among label lovers. For quirkier fashion and cool homewares, head to Bold Street, where you’ll find shops like Utility and Microzine; the Victorian tearoom at department store Jeffs of Bold Street (www.jeffsofboldst.co.uk) is a good place for a pit stop.
- Daytripper
- The Sefton Coastal Path stretches for just over 20km between the seaside resorts of Crosby and Southport, taking in beaches, dunes, woodlands, and nature reserves for red squirrels and rare toads. Crosby beach is populated by Antony Gormley’s eerie army of cast-iron men, collectively known as Another Place. Merseyrail Northern Line trains stop at every town along the coast from Liverpool to Southport, so you can walk as little or as far as you like. Cut out the boring bits with a guide from Sefton Tourism (+44 (0)1704 533533). Little more than 30 miles away, Manchester has undergone a similar resurgence to Liverpool and has a wealth of excellent shopping, fine restaurants and city-centre galleries.
- Perfect Picnic
- The grand country estate of Croxteth Hall (www.croxteth.co.uk) just to the north of the city is flanked by 500 acres of beautiful parkland, with woodland walks and riding stables. Bring a blanket and find a quiet spot, or sprawl supine on the lawns of the walled garden.
- Walks
- From Seacombe Ferry Terminal, you can take a bracing, cheek-rosying walk along the banks of the river Mersey and the Irish sea. Follow the promenade round the Wirral Coast, which curves round to West Kirby via New Brighton (where there’s a rail link back to Seacombe, if the full 25km will spoil your lunch plans).
- Children
- The Yellow Duckmarine offers trips in a WWII amphibious truck. The hour-long tour takes in the historic sights of the city (Pier Head, the Three Graces, St George’s Hall, cathedrals etc), before splashing down in the Salthouse Dock, ending at Albert Dock. Drivers carry water pistols for kids to shoot at passers-by (www.theyellowduckmarine.co.uk). (+44 (0)151 478 4199; www.thewalker.org.uk) on William Brown Street is home to the first dedicated children’s gallery in any UK museum; Big Art for Little Artists offers hands-on painting sessions and child-friendly activities. Daily, 10am–5pm, admission free. Just down the road is the huge World Museum Liverpool (+44 (0)151 478 4393; www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk), with interactive displays on classic childhood fetishes from dinosaurs and Egyptian mummies to space travel. Daily, 10am–5pm; admission free. Acorn Venture Urban Farm (+44 (0)151 548 1524; www.acornfarm.co.uk) on Knowsley Industrial Estate has a petting zoo, plus pony rides, woodland walks, a playground, picnic area and farm shop.
- Activities
- In this football-mad city you’re either red or blue (or Tranmere Rovers); you can see Liverpool in action at Anfield (www.liverpoolfc.tv), and Everton at Goodison Park (www.evertonfc.com) – just make sure you wear the right colours. Also just north of Liverpool is the Aintree racecourse, home of the Grand National, undoubtedly one of the nation’s biggest and best-loved horseracing events, but it hosts plenty of other race events throughout the year (www.aintree.co.uk). If you’d prefer to be in the saddle yourself, you can take lessons at Croxteth Park Riding Centre (+44 (0)151 220 9177).
Diary
2008 will see a wide range of events as Liverpool becomes European Capital of Culture for the year; see www.liverpool08.com for details.
Mid February Chinese New Year is enthusiastically celebrated in the city’s Chinatown. March LEAP, a diverse festival of contemporary dance showcasing the talents of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (www.merseysidedance.co.uk/leap.html). April The Grand National meeting at nearby Aintree Racecourse (www.aintree.co.uk). August The massive Mathew Street Music Festival brings several stages to a number of city locations and features performances by emerging and established local groups (www.mathewstreetfestival.com). International Beatles Week attracts more than 200 bands from around the world to play tribute to the city’s favourite sons, with markets and exhibitions dedicated to the famous foursome (www.cavern-liverpool.co.uk/beatleweek). The flagship Creamfields festival sees international DJs and live acts bid the summer farewell (www.creamfieldsfestival.co.uk).
