If you’re looking for a bustling city to escape to for a weekend, Birmingham is the perfect destination. Easily accessible to travel with family and friends and full of fun things to do and reams of interesting history to explore, here are just a few reasons why we think the city of Birmingham is just so great.

Nature attractions

Did you know that Birmingham is more than just a city? This hotspot in England’s West Midlands has over 600 parks and green spaces, helping keen city dwellers reconnect with nature. One of the most famous beautiful natural environments you can find in the city is Kings Heath Park – the first urban park in Birmingham to achieve Green Flag status. Covering an area of about 35 acres, the park boasts a stunning lake area that has been landscaped to the nines, as well as a bowling green for those summer evenings that just don’t seem to end. If you’re visiting the city with kids, Kings Heath Park is also a great destination for some chillout time after a jam-packed day at nearby Cadbury World.

The home of heavy metal

Flashback to the late 1960s and early 1970s, Birmingham was the original home of heavy metal music. Indeed, the city and surrounding Black Country made for rich inspiration for much of Black Sabbath’s greatest hits. In the years following, Birmingham also curated a host of other incredible artists like Judas Priest, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, the Steets, Laura Mvula, and Duran Duran – making this city undoubtedly a home of jaw-dropping musical talent.

Discover the bullring

For those looking to get to know Birmingham through its shopping culture, look no further than the city’s Bullring. One of Europe’s largest city-centre shopping malls, the Bullring has over 160 shops and over 40 restaurants and cafes. And this heaven for shopaholics has no doubt put Birmingham on the map as a UK major city – recently global retailer SHEIN even hosted their very own pop-up store in the city.

Famous landmarks in Birmingham

The second most populous city in England after London, it’s no surprise that Birmingham is inundated with various tourist attractions, points of interest, and famous landmarks well worth visiting. Birmingham’s public library is not just the largest public library in Europe but also houses England’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s works. While the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery offers visitors the chance to gaze upon the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found in the United Kingdom, and read even more about the origins of the city with a whole floor dedicated to the history of Birmingham and its people…

For your next weekend city break, look no further than Birmingham and its array of brilliant things to do and see that’ll no doubt make you wonder why you would ever go back home.