Narrowboat cruises, chic bars and Michelin-star restaurants…How to spend 48 hours in Birmingham
Get yourself to Britain’s second largest city pronto
ONCE best known for Spaghetti Junction, it can be easy to forget Birmingham’s prettier parts.
But with canals, chic bars and eye-catching architecture, it’s well worth a weekend adventure.
Explore the canals
With 114 miles of canals, Birmingham is an “urban Venice”.
Take an hour’s under looping bridges for £8.
Just steps from the towpath and with free entry, houses contemporary art in a neo-gothic school building.
Then, 15 minutes away, the historic Jewellery Quarter is home to over 100 shops selling vintage pieces and modern designs.
, £7, has regular workshop tours, too, covering 250 years of history.
Go windsurfing
Rent paddle boards on overlooking the city centre, or take a two-hour windsurfing taster lesson for £21.
Fans of BBC’s Peaky Blinders should then head to Digbeth, where gangsters like Tommy Shelby once prospered.
Now it’s a creative hub around The Custard Factory, home to boutiques, street murals and galleries.
Take a one-hour walking tour to learn the history of the real , ending with a 1880s-themed dinner at 14th-century inn the Old Crown for £39.95.
Dine like a star
Birmingham boasts five Michelin-star restaurants – more than any other English city outside London.
Our pick is , serving modern British bites in a chic monochrome setting.
A three-course lunch costs £35.
Thai restaurant has great Kokitjo cocktails (rum, coconut water and mint), £7.65, and zingy soft-shell crab with mango salad, £8.95.
On Broad Street, serves fresh Indian fare – the grilled sea bass with ginger and coconut was our fave, £18.95.
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Find gin heaven
Reached from the canal, is a juniper lover’s dream, with over 30
gins from £4.95.
The whimsical offers a gin-based menu, including seared tuna, £15.50, paired with the tipple.
Or visit , which has a backyard strung with fairy lights and three tapas dishes for £12, including whitebait and halloumi.
Sleep in an icon
Landmark The Cube cuts an impressive glass and steel figure across the skyline.
Inside, luxe takes pride of place, with cloud-like beds and free soft drinks.
Doubles start from £125 per night.