I grew up in an overlooked city named a top travel destination so here are the best secret spots and new attractions
IF YOU’RE looking for a city break destination in the UK, you might want to consider a weekend in Birmingham.
Holidaymakers always seem to gloss over my hometown in favour of other UK haunts like London, Bath, York and the Cotswolds.
And it seems I’m not alone in my love of Brum because a team of travel experts at Time Out have named Birmingham as one of the best places in the UK for a city break in 2025.
Despite being home to the world’s biggest Primark and the Bullring shopping centre, it was Birmingham‘s thriving arts and culture scene that was praised by the Time Out team.
They wrote: “Despite near-total cuts to arts and culture funding, this Midlands city is humming with new energy.
“Under railway arches and in old factories, the already well-established creative scene in Digbeth continues to boom: take new indie book store Voce Books, part of community space The Warehouse, where Brum’s readers, writers and activists gather for regular readings and talks”.
Packed with independent restaurants, lively pubs and quirky entertainment attractions, Digbeth is the city’s vibrant creative quarter.
It’s home to the Custard Factory, a restored Victorian factory that’s a maze of shops, restaurants, cocktail bars, a cinema, and other activities.
Golf Fang, a crazy golf course, is one of my favourite spots in Digbeth.
You can’t go wrong with a pint at the Rainbow either, try their vegan bottomless brunch if you really want to push the boat out.
Nearby, there’s also the The Old Crown, which is thought to have one of the best roast dinners in the country.
For something a little more upmarket, stop for a cocktail – or two – at Passing Fancies where you’ll certainly be able to taste the booze.
Birmingham is much more than one neighbourhood, with other attractions dotted throughout the city centre.
If you’re travelling with young children, The Legoland Discovery Centre and the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham are both just a short walk from Birmingham New Street Train Station.
Further afield, in Bournville, there’s also Cadbury World.
The world-famous chocolate company lets visitors tour its Bournville site and watch chocolate being made and decorated in real time.
Last year, Cadbury World welcomed new attractions like Cadbury Chocolate Quest, the site’s first new ride in 27 years.
Here’s how I had a sweet day out at the Birmingham chocolate factory.
Back in the city centre, in Chamberlain Square, lies Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which reopened last year following a four-year long renovation.
I’m itching to see the museum and its Edwardian tearooms, and I certainly have my eye on its new Rembrandt exhibition.
Opening in March, Rembrandt Masterpieces in Black and White, will be the first time that the etchings have been brought out of the Netherlands.
Other cultural sites that are well worth a visit include the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham Thinktank, and the Lapworth Museum of Geology (Birmingham’s very own natural history museum).
Birmingham is also home to the country’s number one hidden gem attraction, the Back to Backs.
Built in the 19th Century, the small brick buildings are the city’s last surviving example of back-to-back houses.
The tiny terraced houses were built back-to-back around a communal courtyard in a bid to house Birmingham’s growing population in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Even though the buildings were deemed unsatisfactory in the early 1900s, families continued to live in the houses until Cathy Come Home was aired in 1966.
It’s well worth a visit, especially seeing as it’s just a short walk from Birmingham’s Hippodrome.
Music fans will want to head over to Broad Street to snap a photo of Black Sabbath Bridge, Birmingham’s unusual celebrity landmark.
The bench and its artwork was built to commemorate the heavy metal band.
It’s also a short walk from Birmingham Library, which is the biggest in the UK.
The library has ten levels of books, archives, photographs, workspaces and studios, including an archive of some of William Shakespeare‘s works.
It also has a secret rooftop garden that can be accessed via the seventh level of the library.
There you’ll find views of the city’s skyline, as well as colourful flowers, and several spots to sit and read.
As a city with more canals than Venice, there are simply too many great bars and restaurants along its waterways.
Built around the city’s historic canals, Brindley Place, in the heart of the city, has 27 bars and restaurants – many of which are canalside.
My personal favourite is the Canal House Bar and Restaurant.
Birmingham is also a stone’s throw from popular UK days out like Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon – both of which are accessible via train from Birmingham Moor Street station.
Direct trains operate to Birmingham from London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester.
Inside one of Birmingham's coolest areas
AS SOMEONE who grew up in Birmingham, Moseley was always regarded as one of the coolest areas in the city thanks to its independent food scene and edgy music festivals.
There are six Michelin-starred restaurants in Birmingham, the most outside London, and one of them is in Moseley.
Carters of Moseley became a Michelin-starred restaurant back in 2015.
The restaurant has a multi-course tasting menu, which dishes up seasonal British grub.
Dinner experiences run for approximately two and a half hours and cost £150 per person.
If your pockets don’t run that deep, then there are plenty of other great spots in the area, including Damascena Moseley – a popular cafe serving classic Lebanese food.
I’d been visiting Damascena Moseley for over 10 years, and its food never falters.
There’s also Sorrento Lounge and Ponte di Legno – both of which serve traditional Mediterranean dishes.
Moseley is also home to plenty of pubs, including The Prince of Wales, which is arguably one of Birmingham’s best pubs.
The Prince of Wales closed back in 2022, but the traditional boozer was saved by pub giant Greene King.
Originally built in the 1940s, the pub was rebuilt in 1887 and has been a Moseley staple ever since.
Lord of the Rings author, and Birmingham local, JRR Tolkien is said to have visited the pub on several occasions.
If you can’t find a spot in the Prince of Wales on a Saturday night, then there are plenty of other watering holes to try, including The Fighting Cocks and the One Trick Pony Club.
Two music festivals take place in Moseley throughout the year.
The Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul festival takes place every July in Moseley Park, with this year’s headliners including Kool & the Gang.
Moseley Folk and Art Festival is the area’s other popular music festival with previous performances including Laura Marling.
I’ve also revealed the best of Birmingham’s hidden gems – including the UK’s best curry.
Birmingham is home to a number of other attractions that have flown under the radar, including the country’s number 1 hidden gem attraction.