Birmingham

With its population of over 1.02 million people Birmingham is the second most populous city in the United Kingdom after London. The city is in the West Midland region of England, in the region live nearly 2.4 million people and with the surrounding smaller villages and towns around Birmingham, the number of people is around 3.7 million.

Birmingham is located on a plateau, at a relatively high altitude of 150-300 meters above sea level. Around the city there are hills that make the panorama of the city and very pleasant. The city is the focal point of the main water route of England, formed by the rivers Severn and Trent.

In some suburbs of the city you can still see traces of the former historic oak forest of Arden, which covered most of the area.

With its numerous festivals, concert halls, theaters and galleries, Birmingham is one of the cultural capitals of the United Kingdom.

Also the city is an important commercial, industrial and educational centre. Birmingham has a national centre for conferences, trade events and a centre of high technology, scientific and educational, which are part of the three universities in the city.

During the Industrial Revolution Birmingham was one of the most powerful and advanced industrial cities, the development of industry here gave it names such as "world's workshop" or "City of a thousand trades".

Nowadays production in the city is still going at high speeds and this cultural capital has become a magnificent tourist destination. It ranks fourth in the UK by number of tourists and visitors. The city advertises itself as an excellent venue for business meetings and conferences, entertainment, shopping, etc.

Birmingham has high ambitions to become one of the 20th most enjoyable and best cities to live. To achieve this goal it will involve a 20 year project, which will provide a radical reconstruction of the city centre.

Among the cultural attractions that you cannot miss, is the city museum, which is also an Art Gallery - Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Here you can see the largest collection in the world of the works by Edward Burne-Jones.

Another interesting place is the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which has a dual function as a concert hall and art gallery. Here you can view an incredibly rich and diverse collection of coins. Birmingham also has a museum of chocolate. At Cadbury World can learn everything about the production and history of chocolate temptations.

In the centre of the city is Centenary Square, Chamberlain Square and Victoria Square. Among the religious monuments in Birmingham, you should visit St. Philip Cathedral and St. Chad's Church which is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of the city.