City Guide To Manchester Including Manchester Hotels

Introduction

Manchester is a city in the north-west of England, situated in a bowl shaped land area. The city centre is located on the River Irwell. Planning for a vacation in Manchester is a great idea. Manchester is one of the largest cities of England and contains a rich cultural and traditional values, worth to see and feel.

Great places to see, enjoy and stay make Manchester a city for tourists? place of interest.

History

The Manchester area was settled in Roman times: General Agricola called a fort he set up there Mamucium, meaning 'breast-shaped hill.' A facsimile of a Roman fort exists in Castlefield, in the city centre.

Manchester remained a small market town until the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the 18th century. Its damp climate was ideal for cotton processing and with the development of steam-powered engines for spinning and weaving, the cotton industry quickly developed throughout the region. Manchester quickly grew into the most important industrial centre in the world. In 1838 Manchester, like many of the largest towns during this period, was incorporated as a municipal borough.

City status for the borough was conferred in 1853.

Recent history

In 15t June 1996 criminals (PIRA) attacked the City Centre and the consequent reconstruction spurred a massive regeneration of the city centre, with complexes such as the Printworks and the Triangle creating new city focal points for both shopping and entertainment. Since the regeneration after the 1996 PIRA attack and leading up to the XVII Commonwealth Games Manchester has changed significantly.

Old 1960s focal points in the city centre were torn down in favour of a new more modern, up market look. Some areas, like Hulme, have undergone extensive regeneration programs and many million-pound lofthouse apartments have since been developed to cater for its growing business class community.

Place of Interest

Structures of interest in Manchester include:

Transport

Manchester International Airport, formerly Manchester Ringway Airport, is the third busiest airport in the UK in terms of passengers per year and is served by a dedicated railway station. The city has two main city centre stations Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly linking Manchester to other places in the United Kingdom. High speed trains to London are run from Manchester Piccadilly by Virgin Trains.

Manchester and the surrounding area have an extensive bus network, with regular services in and out of the city connecting to all the satellite towns and villages.

Manchester has a tram system called Metrolink.

Operated by Serco, Metrolink links the city centre to Altrincham, Eccles and Bury. It is a high-frequency service, with trams running every 6?12 minutes.

Universities

Manchester is home to two universities: The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. The former is the largest full-time non-collegiate university in Britain.

Together with the University of Bolton and the Royal Northern College of Music and University Centre Oldham all nearby, these give the area a student population in excess of 73,000, one of the largest in Europe.

Sports

Sport and especially football are an important part of Manchester culture. Two major football clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, bear the city?s name.

Museums & Art Galleries

There are many art galleries in Manchester, notably ?The Lowry? in Salford Quays, which houses works by the Salford painter L. S. Lowry, ?The Athenaeum?, ?Salford Museum and Art Gallery?, ?Manchester Art Gallery? etc.

Manchester has some great museums like Greater Manchester Police Museum, Imperial War Museum North, Manchester Jewish Museum and Manchester Museum. These museums are the lively example earlier and recent history and one of the main tourist attractions.

Shopping

Manchester has a number of busy squares, plazas and shopping streets. In the city center Deansgate has many shops, including the department stores, pubs and bars.

There are two large shopping centers; the Arndale Centre in the middle of the city and the out-of-town Trafford Centre which includes food hall, multi-screen cinema and Namco games centre. Other shopping centers include the Triangle which caters for a more youthful and up market clientele and the Royal Exchange Centre.

Food & Drink

Manchester has a vibrant and exciting range of restaurants, bars and clubs, spanning the famous curry mile in Rusholme to traditional ?grub?, China Town, modern bars and bistros at Deansgate Lock in the city centre. Regional favorites include the Eccles cake and the traditional pie capital of the UK is supposedly at the heart of Wigan, 15 miles outside the city. There is a Hard Rock Cafe, chain restaurants such as Wagamama and bars that include Waxy O?Connor and The Living Room.

Other, independent restaurants, bars and clubs can be found in the Northern Quarter area of the city centre. Manchester is also famous for its beer. Although ?The Cream of Manchester?, Boddingtons has left the city, there are still many international, local and independent breweries operating in the Greater Manchester area.

Hotels & Accommodation

Whether you are visiting Manchester on business or just for fun, you may need to find accommodation in Manchester and stay overnight in a B & B or a hotel.

Manchester has a number of hotels in different locations, from the airport to city centre. These hotels can be divided in different categories, from posh to affordable cheap deals, for travellers or for businessmen. Cheap hotels in Manchester are available to make your stay in the city enjoyable. Here is a selection: