10 best places to visit in Manchester, beyond watching football

Or other small cities that are characterized by their monuments or historical environment, such as Bath or York .

But in your tourist trip by England  may Manchester becomes a transitional stage, for example, if you use the airport to fly to  Britain .

Or maybe you are going to reside in Manchester for reasons of studies or work.

In these cases, you’re sure to know what the tourist attractions of Manchester are .

Top tips to visit Manchester

Therefore, below I will give you some tips to visit Manchester in one day , after the trip I made to this city not so long ago, and I will also highlight the places of greatest interest that you should know on your trip.

How to get to Manchester

Manchester  has one of the airports in Great Britain better communicated with Spain, because in addition to Iberia , low cost airlines such  as Ryanair and EasyJet fly .

In addition, the airport is very close to the city, 17 kilometers away, which allows you to get to Manchester quickly and without the cost of transport being a big problem.

The option of going by train from the airport to Manchester is undoubtedly highly recommended because from the airport station there are trains that run every 5-10 minutes, which take you to the Picadilly central station .

The ticket will cost you between 1.95 and 4.50 pounds, depending on the time you travel, and it will take between 15 and 25 minutes.

If you go to rent a car , offices rent a car are just opposite the terminal exit and reach the city center in 20-25 minutes.

Manchester is a city that throughout its history has had a long industrial tradition , especially with textile factories, but the crisis of that sector led years ago to a process of urban reconversion.

The old industrial zones have been remodeled and have been occupied by cultural centers, parks or business areas with very modern buildings.

The result is a curious combination of the old industrial environment with a cultural city environment with great animation.

What to see and do in Manchester

Contrary to what you may think, Manchester is not a very big city.

Deansgate Street

At the time of visiting, the various tourist attractions you will find in the center, so that your tour can be done perfectly walking.

Your tour of Manchester  will have as one of the main axes Deansgate Street , in the western part of the city, which runs almost parallel to the Irwell River .

Hilton Tower

In the vicinity of this street, in the southwest, you should not miss the curious area of Castlefield , almost at the foot of the Hilton Tower , the iconic skyscraper of Manchester.

At 168 meters high, the Hilton Tower is considered to be the tallest skyscraper in Great Britain outside London, and with a design of fully glazed facades,

It is a skyscraper where residential offices and apartments are located, and of which it is noteworthy that on its 23rd floor you have a luxury restaurant from where you have the best panoramic views of the city.

Castlefield

For its part  Castlefield  is a very pleasant area to walk on a sunny day, which occupies what was one of the industrial areas of the city.

In Castlefield you can now find the canals, the bridges where the trains circulate, as well as areas of green meadows and, from the patrimonial point of view, the archaeological remains of a fort and a granary from the Roman era.

MOSI Museum in Manchester

In this area you can also find the very interesting Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) during whose visit you can relive moments of the industrial era of Manchester .

John Rylands Library

Walking down  Deansg ate north you arrive at the financial area of Spiningfields , and next to it, it is essential that you visit the  John Rylands Library ,

It is one of the most outstanding heritage sites in Manchester, a beautiful building from the 19th century with neo-Gothic style, where one of the most important collections of papyri in the United Kingdom is conserved.

Inside you will find a spectacular gothic decoration, and I tell you that it is one of the most interesting visits you can do in this city.

Manchester City Hall

From there, towards the east, you already have very close Albert Square , square where Manchester City Hall is located .

It is an imposing building also of English neo-Gothic style of the mid-nineteenth century, which is the most significant monument in the city.

Do not forget to enter his lobby, and even have a drink in his charming Tea Room .

Albert Memorial in Manchester

In front of the municipal building you have the Albert Memorial monument , also in neo-Gothic style.

At this point, and going north, you are already very close to the commercial area of ​​Manchester .

It is concentrated on Market Street , with its large stores, and Picadilly Gardens , which is the communications center where all the bus lines arrive.

The Triangle in Manchester

Even further north, adjoining the commercial area of Market Street , and next to a large ferris wheel that will remind you of the London Eye to some extent , you arrive at a beautiful corner.

Known as The Triangle , in this corner of downtown Manchester there are a couple of medieval buildings and pub terraces.

Manchester Cathedral

And behind them, the very curious building of the  Cathedral of Manchester .

Its origins go back to the year 1215, but it acquired greater importance when two centuries later in that place a collegiate church was established.

As I have already mentioned, you can walk through all the above without any problem, but to complete a visit to the city of Manchester , two areas must be highlighted, which must be accessed by public transport.

Curry Mile in Manchester

On the one hand, the very long Oxford Road , which goes from the almost central square of Albert Square to the southeast.

There you will find, first, the area where universities extend, and then come to the curious Curry Mile , a stretch where stores and restaurants are concentrated Hindus .

The Quays in Manchester

On the other hand, to have proof of the great urban reconversion that has been carried out in the last decades in the city of Manchester, you have to go to the area known as The Quays , the old shipyards located next to the sea.

All this area has been completely converted and now reign with gardens, shopping and cultural centers (there is the Imperial War Museum and a large auditorium) and modern office buildings.

The Quays is located northwest of Manchester, in the town of Salford .

Finally, I tell you that Manchester is not a very expensive city.

At lunch time , you can find menus for between 10 and 12 pounds (separate drink), with a variety of restaurants, from the typical English pubs , many oriental, and also several Spanish restaurants.

As a fact, I’ll tell you that a pint of beer will cost you about 3.20 pounds.

Finally, if you are going to need accommodation, here is the direct access to booking.com to  find hotels in Manchester .