Liverpool City Guide

Introduction

Liverpool is a city of contrasts – once the proud second city of the British Empire, which boasted the world’s largest transatlantic port, it saw a major slump in its fortunes in the 20th century when the shipping industry fell into decline, subsequently becoming one of the poorest areas in Europe. However, thanks to major European funding and an enormous economic and social regeneration project, Liverpool is bouncing back and is now one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in the UK – so much so that it will be crowned European Capital of Culture in 2008. 

It’s not just the multi-million pound redevelopments that have brought Liverpool back to life, though. Famed for their friendliness, resilience, community spirit, loyalty and acerbic wit, it’s the people of Liverpool who make it the lively and exciting city that it is today. It’s a great destination for an energising city break.

Attractions

Albert Dock
Liverpool’s waterfront is what made the city the thriving port and shipbuilding centre that it once was. To get a feel for the scale and importance of Liverpool’s maritime heritage, head down to Albert Dock, which was built in the mid 19th century when the city was one of the biggest ports in the world. It gradually fell into decline from the early 20th century onwards as it was unable to berth large modern ships, but it was rescued in the 1980s with a massive regeneration project that has seen it transform into one of the best urban heritage centres in the whole of the UK. The museums here are excellent and give a fascinating insight into various aspects of Liverpool’s maritime history.

The Merseyside Maritime Museum traces the development of the city’s port and shipbuilding industry. Two of the most interesting sections in the museum are the history of transatlantic emigration and Liverpool’s part in the slave trade. Liverpool was once the gateway to the New World: people travelled from all over Europe and the world to buy their passage to America and Australia. The museum contains period street scenes demonstrating the impact of transatlantic emigration on the city – such as its multi-cultural population and the short-term boarding houses that sprung up everywhere. You can even experience what it was like for emigrants aboard a typical ship. Liverpool’s main trade for centuries was in slavery – it was the key link between Africa and the New World. The museum gives an informative and very honest account of the horrors of the slave trade, with a model slave ship and diary entries written by slaves, which reveal the suffering to which they were subjected.

The HM Customs and Excise Museum reveals how revenue was collected from sea traders and how smuggling and tax evasion were dealt with, while the Museum of Liverpool Life outlines the social history of the city, from working class movements to football and the city’s music scene.

City Centre
Liverpool’s changes in fortune over the last century or so are evident in the architecture of the city centre. It’s a contrasting mix of grand mercantile buildings from the 19th century, soulless 20th century blocks and arcades, and finally stylish contemporary reconstructions and renovations which reflect the city’s renewed sense of pride.

For a feel of Liverpool in its heyday, don’t miss the opulent and extravagant St George’s Hall on Lime Street, the Walker Art Gallery and the Central Library on William Brown Street, the Martin’s Bank Building, West Africa House and India Buildings on Water Street. The city’s most famous landmark, the Royal Liver Building on Pier Head, with the city’s symbol of two Liver Birds perched on top of it, is best viewed from the sea – there are various Mersey ferry boat tours departing from here.

Two interesting examples of 20th century architecture in Liverpool are its Catholic and Anglican Cathedrals. The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King is a thoroughly modern building, completed in the 1960s. It’s bold, colourful and strikingly different from traditional Catholic church design. The Anglican Liverpool Cathedral is deceptively new – the building of the enormous neo-gothic construction started in 1904 but it wasn’t completed until 1978, only a few years after the Catholic Cathedral. It’s the largest church in the UK and also one of the largest in the world. 

The World Museum Liverpool
The World Museum Liverpool is another of the city’s most impressive buildings, as well as a very good science and nature museum. Its collections are themed around different aspects of the history of the world. The Natural World contains live insects and an aquarium as well as plant and animal specimens. The Human World is a collection of ethnographic antiquities and artefacts from every continent. Earth has a variety of geological exhibits including fossils, rocks and minerals from various time periods, tracing the origin and development of the Earth, and Space and Time covers the physical sciences, with a spectacular Planetarium or ‘theatre of the universe’, which takes you on a journey through space and time to understand how the universe evolved.

Art Galleries
The Walker Art Gallery is a must for any art lover. It’s an enormous and diverse collection of paintings, sculpture and applied art from the 14th century to the present day. There are works by artists from all over Europe, but British artists are very well represented too – with masterpieces by Turner, Stubbs and Hogarth among others.

If you’re interested in modern art, the Tate Gallery Liverpool should not be missed. It’s the best collection of modern art in the country outside London in a well designed space that’s brightly lit and spacious.

The Beatles
The city’s most famous sons are of course the Beatles and those looking for Beatles nostalgia and history won’t be disappointed. The main attraction is the Beatles Story on Albert Dock, which traces the band from its humble beginnings playing at the Cavern Club to the members’ solo careers and the death of John Lennon. Other sights are the Cavern Club on Mathew Street (a reconstruction, as the original building was demolished in the 1970s); the Magical Mystery Tour, a bus that takes visitors past key landmarks such as Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields; and 20 Forthlin Road, the terraced house where Paul McCartney lived as a teenager and wrote songs with John Lennon.

Eating Out

Most of Liverpool’s upmarket and trendy restaurants are located on the Albert Dock and many of them have excellent views over the water. The Panamerican Club is a bar-restaurant that serves fantastic cocktails and a wide range of American beers as well as a mouth-watering range of regional American dishes. Mister M’s, also on the Albert Dock, is a great seafood restaurant specialising in lobster.

For ethnic food, The Far East on Berry Street is an excellent family-run Cantonese restaurant that’s been a favourite among locals for years. It’s particularly famed for its delicious dim sum. One of the best Indian restaurants in the city is the Sultan’s Palace on Victoria Street, which serves tasty tandoori dishes cooked in a traditional charcoal-fired clay oven.

Nightlife

Liverpool is a hub of cultural activity and there’s always something going on. For listings of theatre performances, music gigs, exhibitions and other entertainment events in the city, buy a copy of the Itchy Liverpool guide from any newsstand or bookshop.

The best starting point for a night out on the town is the area around Mathew Street and Bold Street, where there are countless bars and clubs to suit all tastes. Alma de Cuba on Seel Street is a brilliant Caribbean-themed bar in a converted Catholic church. The chapels, stained glass windows and altar have been given a funky modern revamp with pillar candles all around to complete the look.

Liverpool also has a great deal of traditional pubs. The Philharmonic on Hope Street is an incredibly ornate bar dating from 1900, with ceramic tiles, mosaic floors, wrought iron gates and stained glass windows.

The Baltic Fleet on Wapping, near Albert Dock, is one of the city’s oldest pubs, with a charming nautical theme. It has a good selection of cask ales and wines.

Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners

Image by: Utpal (Sonu)