Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM - AT A GLANCE

• As the next largest after London, the busy metropolis is bustling with over a million people.
   
• Go shopping in the historic Jewelry Quarter and enjoy a Balti, the curry that's become Birmingham's trademark.
   
• The metropolis was once a world leader in the production of pens, buckles, buttons, jewelry, and guns. At the Black Country Living Museum, these skills and trades are brought back to life in an authentic village setting.
   
• For something a little different, explore the city by canal boat – Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice and there’s plenty of beautiful scenery to take in.
   
• Located in the Midlands - the middle of the country - it is within easy reach of most of the UK.
   
• You might like to stay here a night or two on your way to the home of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon, which is an hour south by train.
   
• Birmingham is a convenient 1 hour 25 minutes from England’s capital.