Liverpool is a fantastic city break destination whenever you choose to visit. Historically a part of Lancashire, the urbanisation and expansion of Liverpool were both largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city. The popularity of The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the other groups from the Merseybeat era contributes to Liverpool's status as a tourist destination; tourism forms a significant part of the city's modern economy. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007, and it held the European Capital of Culture title together with Stavanger, Norway, in 2008. Several areas of the city centre were granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2004. Liverpool is also the home of two Premier League football clubs, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.. There are a number of ways of getting around the local area, from the various train and bus routes heading into the city and around the local area to the historical Mersey Ferries which still carry both tourists and commuters across the river today.

Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Photograph © Neil T

The train service in Liverpool is quite reliable and efficient these days. The main stations in the city centre are Central, Lime Street, Moorfields and James Street. Lime Street is the terminus for many national lines and the local city line to Manchester. Moorfields is just off Dale Street, ideal for the business centre of Liverpool and Central is usually used by shoppers and visitors. Local trains run very frequently between Hunts Cross, Kirkby, Ormskirk and Southport on the Northern line. They run every 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday and 30 minutes on Sunday. Central station is the main station for the Northern line, although the 'loop' links the three main city centre stations. The Wirral line forms the link between the Lime Street, Moorfields and Central, so all of these stations act as an interchange between the City, Northern and Wirral lines.

Albert Dock
The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool. It was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world. At the time of its construction the Albert Dock was considered a revolutionary docking system because ships were loaded and unloaded directly from/to the warehouses. Due to its open yet secure design, the Albert Dock became a popular store for valuable cargoes such as brandy, cotton, tea, silk, tobacco, ivory and sugar. During the Second World War, the Albert Dock was requisitioned by the Admiralty serving as a base for boats of the British Atlantic Fleet. Today the Albert Dock is a major tourist attraction in the city and the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom. It is a vital component of Liverpool's UNESCO designated World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City and the docking complex and warehouses also comprise the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings anywhere in the UK. It is the number one tourist attraction in Liverpool. Amongst the many attractions at the Albert Dock are the Merseyside Maritime Museum, the Beatles Story and the Tate Liverpool. There are also two hotels within the Albert Dock: a Holiday Inn and Premier Lodge both located in the Britannia Pavilion.

World Museum and City Library
Photograph © Jonathan Oldenbuck

William Brown Street
William Brown Street in Liverpool, England is a road that is remarkable for its concentration of public buildings. It is sometimes referred to as the "Cultural Quarter" of Liverpool. Originally known as Shaw's Brow, a coaching road east from the city, it is named after William Brown, a local MP and philanthropist, who in 1860 donated land in the area for the building of a library and museum. Here you will can find The William Brown Library and Museum The building currently houses part of the World Museum Liverpool and Liverpool Central Library. You will also be able to see the Walker Art Gallery on William Brown Street. It houses one of the largest art collections in England, outside of London. The Walker Art Gallery houses a collection including Italian and Netherlandish paintings from 1300–1550, European art from 1550–1900, including works by Rembrandt, Poussin and Degas, 18th and 19th century British art, including a major collection of Victorian painting and many Pre-Raphaelite works, a wide collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, 20th century works by artists such as Lucian Freud, David Hockney and Gilbert and George and a major sculpture collection.

Pier Head
The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool. It is part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic site encompasses a trio of landmarks, built on the site of the former George's Dock. This includes the Royal Liver Building. It is a grade I listed building consisting of two clock towers, both crowned by mythical Liver Birds. The building is the headquarters of the Royal Liver Friendly Society. The Cunard Building which is now the former headquarters of the Cunard Line shipping company and the Port of Liverpool Building which is now the former home of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. Also on the site is the grade II listed Mersey Tunnel building.

The Mersey Ferries operate from George's Landing Stage, owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. Ferries travel to Woodside in Birkenhead and Seacombe in Wallasey. The Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry service also operates from Princes Landing Stage, at a berth adjacent to the those used by the Mersey Ferries.

Liverpool Pier Head, with the Royal Liver Building,
Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building
Photograph © Chowells

Liverpool ONE
Liverpool ONE is a shopping, residential and leisure complex in Liverpool. It is a retail led development, anchored by department stores Debenhams and John Lewis, with additional elements including leisure facilities (anchored by a 14-screen Odeon cinema and 36-hole adventure golf centre), apartments, offices, public open space and transport improvements. Liverpool ONE is the largest open air shopping centre in the United Kingdom and the 10th largest overall. Liverpool ONE consists of six distinct districts, mixing retail, leisure and accommodation. Jungle Rumble is an indoor adventure golf centre that opened in Liverpool ONE in December 2010. The attraction includes two 18-hole courses, a state of the art golf simulator as well as a bar and cafe. Liverpool ONE is home to two large hotels, the Hilton Liverpool is a 215 room hotel located at Chavasse Park. It is one of three Hilton hotels in Liverpool and also contains numerous conference rooms, the Exchange Restaurant and the Prima Cocktail Bar. The 12-storey Novotel on Hanover Street was built between 2007 and 2009 it contains 209 rooms, a gym, swimming pool and the Elements Restaurant and Bar. Liverpool ONE also includes a bus station and a multi-storey car park at the edge of the main shopping district.

Comedy in Liverpool
Comedy nights are featured on Friday and Saturday at Baby Blue, a nice club on the exclusive Albert Dock, which is known as a celebrity hotspot. Also for laughs, try Rawhide at the Royal Court Theater which showcases some of the best in regional and national comedy talent. Every June or July there is a fortnight long *Liverpool Comedy Festival which takes place in venues across the city. One event not to be missed is the now legendary Drink up Stand up pub crawls. On the first Tuesday of the month the Fab Café on Hope Street hosts a comedy night with two or three local comics plus a compere.

Mathew Street
Mathew Street is a street in Liverpool, England, best-known worldwide as the location of the Cavern Club, where The Beatles played on numerous occasions in their early career. The street connects Rainford Gardens (off Whitechapel) to North John Street, and is located in an area of the city centre known today as "The Cavern Quarter". Historically it was the centre of Liverpool's wholesale fruit and vegetable market. Mathew Street is visited by thousands of tourists a year, who visit the Cavern Club and many surrounding attractions including a statue of John Lennon, a Beatles store and several pubs formerly frequented by The Beatles. A wall in Mathew Street is adorned by a sculpture by Arthur Dooley entitled "Four Lads Who Shook the World". Today, Mathew Street is one of Liverpool's most popular nightlife destinations. It is also the centre of the Mathew Street Festival, which fills the streets of Liverpool every Summer. The event attracts thousands of visitors and acts from all over the world and hosts many bands, both local and from around the world, including many Beatles tribute bands. 2010 saw approximately 100,000 music fans visit Liverpool to celebrate the festival's 18th birthday. Six outdoor stages played host to a number of tribute acts, covering songs by The Beatles, Blondie and David Bowie.

Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups. Liverpool has won more European titles than any other English club, with five European Cups, three UEFA Cups and three UEFA Super Cups. Their fans are famous the world over for the unique atmosphere they create at Anfield and the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' on matchdays. They have a very heated rivalry with Manchester United FC, considered by most football fans to be the biggest rivalry in all of England; a rivalry which stems from the traditional city rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool since the Industrial Revolution, and further fuelled by the fact that both clubs are the most successful English clubs in European and domestic competition. Anfield was built in 1884 on land adjacent to Stanley Park. The capacity of the stadium at the time was 20,000, although only 100 spectators attended Liverpool's first match at Anfield.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, is the country's longest surviving professional orchestra. It is involved in educational and community projects in Liverpool and its surrounding region. The society and its members have been successful in winning a number of honours and awards and played an important role when Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture in 2008. It is based in the Philharmonic Hall, an art deco concert hall built in the late 1930s. Each year the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society more than 60 concerts of classical music played by the orchestra. A series of Family Concerts is arranged on Sunday afternoons, aimed mainly at children aged 4–10. The society also organises workshops for children. It arranges other events in the hall, including performances of jazz and pop music, and comedy shows. Films are shown on the Walturdaw screen. The society also arranges concerts in the Small Concert Room of St George's Hall.

Guided Tours
For those in a hurry there are a number of operators offering guided tours, either using their own transportation or offering their services as "hop-on, hop-off Guides" on your coach or offering guided walks. The best way of getting an overview of the city, is by taking the City Explorer open-top bus run by Maghull Coaches. With 12 stops you can hop on and off all day. Qualified local guides provide the commentary and can answer your questions about the city. For Beatles fans, there is the Magical Mystery Tour which will take you around the places associated with the Beatles both in the city centre and in the suburbs. For a more tailored tour, there's Liverpool Entente Cordiale Tours. Their Liverpool tour guides can plan a walk for you or hop on your coach and guide you around the city. They offer tours in English or French. The Beatles Fab Four Taxi Tour offer unique personal tours that take you back in time to the childhood homes of the Fab Four.