Birmingham overview

Plonked across a series of low hills, England’s second city was, at one time, the biggest eyesore in the country on account of heavy industry and the razing of great swathes of it at the hands of the trigger-happy Luftwaffe. Today, however, it is largely a different story, having undergone significant revitalisation including the restoration and conversion of many of its unsightly warehouses. Shopping is the number one activity in Birmingham and there is a massive collection of hotels in the city centre and along Coventry Road. Birmingham seriously lacks in the historical department, however, with St Phillip’s Cathedral being one of only a few old structures worth looking at. Birmingham International Airport is a major facility and the city is served by major motorways and rail lines.