Birmingham – powerhouse of the Midlands, second largest city in the United Kingdom and the cradle of the industrial revolution. The city and its surroundings were heavily bombed during World War 2, but Birmingham itself did not suffer the same extent of fire storms as e.g. nearby Coventry. It is today a very mixed city, combining palatial public buildings, victorian housing and a variety of very different modern buildings. The city also has an amazing pub scene including gin bars, classic pubs with BYOC events (Bring Your Own Cheese!) and the newly renovated BrindleyPlace entertainment quarter by the canal.
This walk is an all-dayer taking you through parts of the city centre and the historical Jewellery Quarter. Main sights include the Birmingham Museum of Art, the surprisingly small city cathedral, a beautiful Victorian shopping arcade, several buildings of industrial historical importance, a cemetary and a number of exciting – and some Grade II-listed – pubs, including one with cinema-style seats in the back. For this walk it is assumed, that you have had breakfast before starting out. The walk itself is a total of about 5km so it will take you the better part of a day, depending on how long you stop at each sight and watering hole. The general route is as follows: