Guide to Liverpool
Culture:
Liverpool is not just a city of sport, it oozes culture and heritage. The city has a glorious past as a mercantile hub and gateway to the New World, but today it is also a key destination for art lovers, fans of the theatre and museumgoers. Visit the Walker Art Gallery, the national gallery of the North – ask at your hotel reception for a helpful guide to the highlights.
Music:
Liverpool is famous for its music, but if you think Liverpool, most people think the Beatles. The city is officially the World Capital of Pop, and the Fab Four are, of course, its most famous offspring. Non-negotiable for Liverpool music fans is a trip to The Beatles Story at Albert Dock, a brilliant tour through the Beatles’ lives, with fascinating Fab Four memorabilia and insights from friends and family. You can also pop into the Cavern Club on Mathew Street, where the Beatles began, for a lunchtime beer or some live music in the evening; or visit the childhood homes of John Lennon and Sir Pau McCartney, Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton, both of which are now National Trust properties.
The Liverpool music scene also includes the world-class Echo Arena too, which has attracted such massive names as Bob Dylan, Beyonce and Dame Shirley Bassey in the past.
Shopping:
Liverpool ONE, right in the heart of the city, is the shiny new designer Liverpool shopping centre that is home to more than 160 famous high street names, from John Lewis to Apple, Topshop to Cath Kidston. Then there is the exclusive Metquarter, where you will find more select fashion and beauty outlets such as Jo Malone, Molton Brown and MAC. For the boys there is Gieves & Hawkes and Tommy Hilfiger.
But Liverpool shopping also has the ultra fashionable Cavern Walks, home to Vivienne Westwood and WAGS favourite Cricket, which sells impossibly expensive handbags and designer clobber. Lark Lane is also a groovy destination full of bohemian boutiques and street markets.
Nightlife:
Liverpudlians enjoy a drink, from a cool cocktail to a hearty real ale. Their sense of fun and love of a great night out guarantee that the bars in Liverpool are lively and that Liverpool nightlife is legendary. Panoramic on Brook Street is one of the top bars in Liverpool to start. Sip on a signature cocktail while also drinking in breathtaking views of Liverpool at night from 34 floors up the West Tower. You could almost be in Hong Kong or Manhattan!
Try Thomas Rigby’s on Dale Street, one of Liverpool’s oldest pubs, or head for the Fly in the Loaf on Hardman Street for genuine Belgian and German beers to gather a more traditional feel to your night.
Numerous comedy clubs have sprung up across the city, where you can enjoy a beer or two while having a good old laugh. Check out the Laughterhouse comedy nights at the Slaughterhouse on Fenwick Street, one of Liverpool’s premier comedy clubs.
