The Weekenders - Search for weekend getaways around the UK.

Manchester

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So, you’ve decided that it’s about time for an exciting weekend city break - stylish hotel, loads of culture, fantastic restaurants, music, dancing, drinking... you know the kind of thing. Should you: a) brave the Friday night commuter jungle to get to some out-of-the-way airport, where flight delays are almost a certainty and your 5p (plus £50 in taxes and airport fees) buys you just enough leg room to wiggle your little toe - all to spend one day in a tourist-trap of a European city before having to fly back again, or b) travel the few hours door-to-door it takes to reach one of the UK’s - and one of Europe’s - most vibrant cities, with everything you’ll ever need for that perfect buzzy break and loads of time to enjoy it all?

It’s hardly rocket science, is it.

We know it’s a cliché, but Manchester really does have something for everybody. Chic urbanites will love the rejuvenated architecture and blossoming modern art scene, foodies will be in gastro-heaven with some of the most exciting restaurants in the UK, plus the famous Rusholme Curry Mile, party animals will have no problem finding a stylish bar, an uber-cool lounge club or a full-on, hands-in-the-air dance-fest at any hour, on any day. Sports fans... well, that’s obvious, romantics will love the turrets and neo-Gothic facades of the 19th century city centre and some genuinely amore-inducing hotel rooms, while even fresh air fiends will be happy in the knowledge that both the Peak District and the Lake District are just two short train rides from Manchester Piccadilly station.


And then there’s the music. For anyone in their thirties, the ‘Madchester’ of the nineties is about as close to a music mecca as many of us are likely to have experienced (unless you’re counting the Stock, Aitken and Waterman Hits Factory, obviously), and the children of the Hacienda are still kicking up a storm in 21st Century Manchester. That’s not to say it’s all post-Stone-Roses naval gazing - the vibrant Manchester music scene caters for all tastes and eardrum thresholds, with some of the best music venues in the country.

What to see?

Manchester city centre is easily doable by foot and tram, while easy-to-follow bus routes take you out to the places your tootsies can’t reach. An excellent place to start any visit is the shiny, soaring Urbis building (www.urbis.org.uk Tel: 0161 605 8200) - a testament to the inspired rejuvenation of Manchester city centre. Basically an enormous glass village hall, Urbis plays host to some great Manchester-orientated exhibitions (currently showing is a retrospective of local fashion hero, Matthew Williamson), has a stylish café, The Social, which is a great place for lunch, and a brilliant shop selling all things Manchester. But the star attractions are the top-floor viewing deck and The Modern - Urbis’ sleek bar and restaurant - both of which offer fantastic views over the city skyline and beyond.

From the uber-modern Urbis, to the venerable and internationally-renowned, the Manchester Art Gallery (www.manchestergalleries.org Tel: 0161 235 8888) on Mosley Street is a must-visit. Housing a huge collection of artworks, from the Old Masters to the contemporary, the gallery is especially known for its Victorian art - including lots of amazing pre-Raphaelite works. It’s also one of the best places to see Manchester through the eyes of Adolphe Valette and, most famously, LS Lowry (for the biggest collection of Lowry paintings in the world, you need to visit The Lowry in Salford Quays. More on that later...).

The architectural heart of the city has to be Albert Square and the jaw-dropping, neo-Gothic town hall that dominates it. Completed in 1877 and designed by leading Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse, the interiors are as impressive as the exterior, with dramatic Gothic vaulting, mosaic floors and murals by pre-Raphaelite pin-up Ford Madox Brown. Have a wander, or arrange a tour through the Tourist Information Office (Tel: 0871 222 8223).

From Albert Square, the city separates into various sections, all with their own character and attractions, and all great places to explore. The Northern Quarter, from Piccadilly Gardens up towards Great Ancoats Street, is fast becoming known as the creative and arty bit of the city, and home to the best independent galleries, funkiest bars and restaurants and quirky shopping. Manchester Fashion Market (www.manchestermarkets.com) is held every Saturday on Tib Street and is a fantastic place to pick up individual and unique pieces from up-and-coming design talent - all at affordable prices. Or you could visit the legendary Affleck’s Palace (www.afflecks-palace.co.uk Tel: 0161 8342039) - 3 floors of vintage clothing, handmade jewellery, one-off designs, funky footwear... the list goes on. If art is more your bag, there are loads of great galleries showing work from established and graduate artists. Try ArTzu (www.artzu.co.uk Tel: 0161 228 3001) on Great Ancoats Street or the Richard Goodall Gallery Underground (www.richardgoodallgallery.com Tel: 0161 832 3435) on Thomas Street. For a full list of all the shops in the Northern Quarter, log on to the brilliant www.northernqtr.co.uk.

Other areas in the city centre include Manchester’s world famous Chinatown - the largest in the UK - home to a large and vibrant Chinese community, a magnificent Chinese arch and some of the best Chinese food this side of, well, China. For a real gastronomic treat, book a table at the vast and internationally-renowned Yang Sing (www.yang-sing.com Tel: 0161 236 2200), a buzzy and stylish restaurant offering amazing Cantonese cooking (many say the best in Europe) over multiple floors. Visit during Chinese New Year (in February) for colourful parades and fireworks.

Canal Street is Manchester’s (and probably Europe’s) gay capital, with pubs, bars, clubs and shops making up the ‘gay village’. Over the last decade, the area has grown to become a bit of a non-stop party venue (especially in the summer, when revellers spill out into the streets), attracting both gay and straight party animals from all over the world. Canal Street really kicks off during Manchester’s annual Gay Pride celebrations in August (www.manchesterpride.com Tel: 0161 236 7474), when thousands descend on the city for a massive parade, a three-day concert, loads of music and drinking and a candlelight vigil to round off proceedings.

The Millenium Quarter used to be known as the Medieval Quarter, as this is where some of Manchester’s oldest buildings can be found, but since the IRA bombing in 1996, it has also become home to some of the most dramatic developments in the city’s rejuvenation. Futuristic architecture, such as Urbis, sits alongside ‘old’ Manchester, including the city’s lovely medieval cathedral (www.manchestercathedral.org Tel: 0161 833 2220). This area is also the heart of Manchester’s amazing shopping scene, with the high-end designer names in Deansgate and King’s Street (including Harvey Nic’s) sitting alongside the mammoth Arndale Shopping centre - the biggest city centre mall in the UK.

For a bit of a breather, travel outside the city centre for some of Manchester’s other landmarks. Old Trafford is home to both Manchester United’s hallowed ground (www.manutd.co.uk Tel: 0870 442 1994), where you can join a tour of the ‘theatre of dreams’ and the club’s excellent museum, and Lancashire County Cricket Club (www.lccc.co.uk Tel: 0161 282 4000), while Manchester City play at the swanky new City of Manchester Stadium (www.mcfc.co.uk Tel: 0870 062 1894). For something a bit less shouty, a must-visit is the amazing Lowry (www.thelowry.com Tel: 0870 787 5780) in the redeveloped Salford Quays. Opened in 2000 it’s a masterclass in breathtaking, modern architecture, and a vibrant arts centre to boot. Two theatres, a gallery housing a huge collection of local hero, LS Lowry’s, work, plus regularly changing exhibtitions, plus a great restaurant, cafes and bars make this a real destination. And the views of the Manchester Ship Canal on a sunny day, from the Lowry’s terraces, are just fantastic.

Or why not try?

The Bridgewater Hall (www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk Tel: 0161 907 9000)

The Royal Exchange Theatre (www.royalexchange.co.uk Tel: 0161 833 9833)

Factory Records Tour (www.urbis.org.uk Tel: 0161 605 8241)

Around and about

If all that wasn’t enough for you (??!?!!), then you need only venture a short way out of town for some of the UK’s most breathtaking scenery. Catch the Hope Valley Railway from Manchester Piccadilly - one of the most scenic and popular railway routes in the UK - for a trip into the heart of the Peak District. Otherwise, you can make the hour-long train journey north, from Piccadilly to Windermere, in the heart of the Lake District.

For a bit of a dual city break, it’s less than an hour by train from Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street. Read The Weekenders Guide to Liverpool for the best places to eat and things to see once you’re there.

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