Liverpool It is one of the best known cities in England and has little more than eight hundred years of existence. Did you know? In addition, it has many places that UNESCO has declared World Heritage and among its curious data, the fact that it has the oldest Chinese community in Europe stands out.
But why is Liverpool a famous city? Well, first of all because of its musical tradition, obviously, It is the birthplace of The Beatles, but it has much more so if you are planning a trip to England and have a few days leave London and travel to Liverpool. Here we leave you what you have to see.
Liverpool
El borough was founded in the XNUMXth century and for many centuries its population did not even reach a thousand people, but in the seventeenth century things began to change hand in hand with the maritime trade based primarily on the slave trade and tobacco.
By the nineteenth century the city and its port were already important in world trade. This is where, for example, the cotton from the American South that fed the workshops of the Industrial Revolution entered, so for a few moments it even became more important than London. Its wealth attracted immigrants and that made it one of the first modern multicultural cities.
After the First War, with the return of the soldiers, the demand for work increased and in the end this brought important racial conflicts, in keeping with what was happening in the rest of the world and which marked the beginning of the decolonization processes that were taking place. would give after World War II.
But how is the city? It is 283 kilometers from London, in Liverpool Bay on the Irish Sea at just 70 meters above sea level. Have a temperate maritime climate, with mild summers and cool winters and its urban center is surrounded by a green belt. Today about half a million people live in it, mostly white, although as we said above there is an important and old black population.
What to see in Liverpool
With so many years of history and its importance in international trade there are many interesting places to visit. Most of the buildings date from the mid-XNUMXth century. There are many Georgian style buildings, more than in Bath and that's saying a lot, and of course the port area and its warehouses have their own shine.
Liverpool had the world's first hydraulic cranes and the world's first closed wet dock, but the classic postcard of the city's port dates back to 1846 and is the ensemble of buildings known as Albert Dock. These buildings are historical and played a very important role in the development of the city.
They date from the mid-XNUMXth century and They are made of brick and stone and have an iron structure. No wood and that is why they were one of a kind at that time. They couldn't catch fire!
Nowadays have been recycled and have become shops, restaurants and bars, and museums, and this reconversion that they have undergone can be seen in other ports around the world. Here is the International Slavery Museum, the Tate Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the popular Beatles Story.
- International Slavery Museum: It is part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum and has three galleries that focus on the lives of the people of North Africa, their hunting, their trade and their subsequent liberation. It opens from 10 am to 5 ppm and is free to enter.
- Tate liverpool: This museum and art gallery is part of the Tate Britain and Tate London and concentrates its collection is in the British art from the 1500s to the present day. It operates within an old warehouse in the Albert Dock, on the city's boardwalk, and opened in 1899.
- The Beatles Story: It is a museum about this musical band and it opened in 1990. There are recreations of iconic places for the band like The Cavern Club Abbey Road Studios.
Another popular destination goes by the name of the Three graces, the Royal Liver Building, the Port of Liverpool Building and the Cunard Building. All three are on Pier Head, they are of different architectural styles and are a symbol of the maritime wealth of the city.
All these buildings, plus others, give the city its own personality and in recent decades they have undergone renovations and modernizations that have revitalized Liverpool. But what is outside the port?
There are historic mansions, for example. Speke Hall is a beautiful Tudor house dating back to the late XNUMXth century, there is also XNUMXth century Croxteth Hall, Woolton Hall, and the Bluecoat Chambers built in a Queen Anne style. In addition, the city has two beautiful cathedrals, the Catholic cathedral built in the 60s of the twentieth century, nothing traditional in its design, and the Anglican Cathedral, the largest in the country, Gothic in style.
The truth is that basically There are two ways to appreciate the city, one is by walking it and the other by taking a ferry ride. Mersey Ferries run year round, depart hourly from Pier Head and cost £ 16 for two adults. The tour lasts 70 minutes and you can buy a combined ticket to use the tourist bus. There is another bus that focuses on The Beatles, the Magical Mystery Tour, with music and information, at £ 18 a ticket. And there are also walking tours, beatles walks.
Finally, and speaking of The Beatles, it is impossible to leave Liverpool without surrounding yourself with the history of the band. So, you can visit the Cavern Club original, on Mathew Street, always open from 11 am and with live shows practically every night, or the English taxi tour at 50 pounds a taxi.
The newest Beatle attraction is the Magical Beatles Museum, open from Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm, at 9 pounds the entrance, and with a collection of more than 300 objects distributed in three floors.
This museum is on Mathew Street, just like the Cavern Club, and offers a comprehensive journey through the history of this English band that would change the music of the world. Strawberry Fields It is a Salvation Army building in Woolton, a Liverpool suburb, and also a Beatles song that became popular in 1967, written by Lennon, who lived nearby. His house still stands so it is a popular destination with fans.
Another Beatle site to target is the Casbah pub, where it all started for the band. You can only go by reservation and the visit costs 15 pounds per adult. As you can see, Liverpool is a compendium of musical history, art and culture. Do not miss it!