Liverpool Hotels

Don’t worry, your knowledge is about on par with everyone else’s. So there’s no shame in not knowing that, thanks to its historic Port, Liverpool was a multicultural city (it has the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe) when the rest of the country wouldn’t know a dim sim from a kebab.

Liverpool packs a sizeable kick for a city with a population under 500,000, as you’ll discover having a casual pint at the old port Ropewalks, going on a shopping spree or walking the pedestrian-friendly streets of the World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City. Then stroll along Pier Head, walk the Albert Dock and wander around one of the many museums – and you’ll find that Liverpool’s reputation for being a bit, well, murky, is totally undeserved.

And then there’s the music. As well as the Beatles (who remain everywhere in the Pool thanks to the souvenir industry), Liverpool gave birth to the Merseybeat sound that inspired a generation. Today, an altogether more hybrid mix can be heard in Liverpool’s pubs and clubs – from the famous Cavern Club(actually a recreation) where the Fab Four first played to the dub-stepping superclubs, Liverpool is a city that knows how to sound its best after dark.

LIVERPOOL’S TOP 10

LIVERPOOL LOCAL

Don’t let the ridiculous number of Beatles souvenir shops mislead you – Liverpool is a smallish city and you can find yourself in a new and interesting neighbourhood just by wandering. It can also be quite dangerous, so do your wandering with a map in hand.

Chinatown

Liverpool’s large, colourful multi-cultural population means more to the city than just heaps of great spots to grab a greasy pork fried rice at the crack of noon on a Sunday after a big night out. It also means Europe’s oldest Chinatown, with the largest monumental Chinese arch outside of China – the 50ft-high Ceremonial Arch. No visit to a Chinatown anywhere (even in China) is complete without juicy dumplings and carby congee. Berry Street and Nelson Street are your best bets, where you’ll find institutions such as Lux Express and Ma Bo.

Canning

If there’s one thing that has any hope of being glimpsed from behind a massive ceremonial arch, it’s Britain’s largest Christian church, the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, around which lies the Georgian elegance of Canning. Once you’ve ticked that off the list, forget its only 12pm and head to a pub – you’re in Scouser territory now. The Belvedere of Falkner Street or the legendary Philharmonic on Hope Street are the best places to get your blood alcohol at the optimum level for wandering around marvelling at Canning’s Georgian architecture.

Business District

Liverpool’s most boring district attraction-wise shouldn’t be ignored completely. It has some of the city’s most interesting buildings, from Georgian through to present day. Martin’s Bank Building and the India Buildings are two to see, while the main thoroughfare of Castle Street, via Derby Square, links to the huge Liverpool One shopping centre. You didn’t think you could spend a whole day walking around looking at big buildings, did you?

Ropewalks

Liverpool’s old port neighbourhood is still in the process of being regenerated. And, like most regenerated industrial port districts, Ropewalks is also where you will find the most eclectic array of pedestrian-friendly shopping streets and the most enjoyable bohemian nightlife. The grand façade of St Luke’s bombed-out (literally, not narcotically) church is one of the most interesting examples of dereliction in the area, while FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) explains the high number of hipsters in the area. The Cream and Kazimier clubs can be found here, the main sources of Ropewalks’ economy since its warehouses were abandoned.

Lark Lane

The south end of Liverpool contains things that most visitors think of as a Liverpudlian myth – green parks and leafy trees. The giant Sefton Park is where you’ll find the largest lawns and the leafiest trees, while the stretch of Lark Lane itself is the eclectic epicentre of this student-dense neighbourhood. For all the trendiness and none of the rowdy under-21 crowds, try Pablos for a drink or a meal in a more upscale (though slightly ’80s hotel lobby) environment.

LIVERPOOL EAT & DRINK

Since being dubbed Britain’s cultural capital (it happened in 2008, in case you missed it), Liverpool has picked its dining game up a little and high-street favourites are now interspersed with sleek establishments. So you can choose to be spoilt for choice or just plain spoilt…

LIVERPOOL EVENTS

Every week may be British Pie Week in Liverpool, but March is when the artery-clogging goodness is given a little pomp and circumstance.

May’s week-long Liverpool Food and Drink Festival celebrates the city’s excellent food and drink offerings, from the high-end to the quaint and quirky.

Galleries, videos and 30 stages of eclectic world music make May’s Liverpool Sound City worthy of its name.

June’s Physical Fest is the only one of its kind in Europe, with a week of events, workshops and performances. In case you were wondering, it’s mostly child-friendly.

World music is one thing, but the Brouhaha carnival in July brings to Liverpool performers from countries such as the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Diehard fans from over 40 countries grow their hair, don their finest band shirts and flood Liverpool in August for International Beatle Week – one of the most important music events worldwide. Go and laugh at them.

Liverpool’s conveniently timed Mathew Street Festival follows soon afterwards, drawing crowds exceeding 300,000.

The Bold Street Festival in September is only in its fourth year, but it doesn’t take long for Liverpudlians to warm to a food, music and culture extravaganza.

Switch On is the name for the annual turning on of the Christmas lights. Who will they get to do it…?

When to go

Liverpool has the same weather you’ll find anywhere else in northwest England. Expect some rain!

What to miss

Liverpool, like most cities, has a firmly entrenched drinking culture – although you won’t find it at the franchise bars surrounding the Concert Square.

· The Beatles souvenir shops. Great band, cheap merchandise.

· Crime obviously doesn’t have strict geographical boundaries, but areas like Kensington are worth avoiding.

Getting there and around

To get to Liverpool, you could take the long and winding road (sorry!), or the M62. The motorway is probably quicker but doesn’t have as much significance for Beatles’ fans. Also well served by rail and air.

· Liverpool’s public transport system is fast and efficient, so make use of buses, trains and ferries rather than spending an extortionate amount on cabs.

· The Merseyrail underground is particularly efficient – and environmentally friendly.