Birmingham has plenty of literary associations, these include not only Washington Irving, but also JRR Tolkien, who wrote Rip Van Winkle while lodging in this city with his sister’s family, and Conan Doyle, who bought violin in Sherlock Street while medical student in Birmingham. The authors Judith Cutler, David Lodge and Jim Crace are also residents. Some of the nearby locations of Birmingham include Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shropshire and Warwick offer most of the stereotypical photos of olde England. The unique profile of Birmingham with plenty of small workshops practising a broad variety of highly skilled and specialized trades and encouraged outstanding levels of innovations and creativity offered a resilient and diverse economic base for industrial prosperity.

At present, Birmingham is one of the most significant global commercial centres ranked as beta-world metropolitan of Globalization and World Cities Research Network and a significant conference, transport, events and retail hub. With GDP of more than $90 billion, its economy of city agglomeration is the 2nd biggest in United Kingdom and 72nd biggest outside London. Its most important cultural institutions including Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Cit of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet enjoy global reputations. The early history of Birmingham is that of marginal and remote area. The primary centres of wealth, population and power in pre-industrial English Midlands lay in accessible and fertile valleys of Trent, Avon and Severn.

Birmingham International Airport is the most important airport located outside Birmingham in Solihull around eight miles east of Central Birmingham serving the rest of West Midlands and city region with far-flung and domestic places including Toronto, Delhi, New York, Dubai, Luxor and Islamabad. The Air-Rail Link connects airport Passenger Terminals with Birmingham International Rail Station between 05:15 and 02:00. It is one of the major hubs of rail network of Britain. The main station is New Street with Moor Street and Snow Hill carrying drastically fewer services but embrace better service from London Marylebone station. All Britain areas are well served with half-hourly services from Sheffield, Bristol, Oxford, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, London, Glasgow and stations in between.

Art Galleries and Museums

For a place with strong industrial heritage, Birmingham doesn’t have large range of historical sights you might expect, but is offset by arts being highly well represented. It includes Aston Hall, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Cadbury World, IKON Gallery, Sarehole Mill, Soho House, Thinktank and Museum of Jewellery Quarter.

Nature and Parks

There are green spaces and green parks all over Birmingham and its suburbs and the countryside is just around 30 minutes away in all directions. The nature reserves and country parks typically comprise wealth of information, including conservation efforts, local flora and fauna. It includes Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Glasshouses, Birmingham Nature Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Lickey Hills Country Park, National Sea Life Centre, RSPB Sandwell Valley, Sutton Park and Woodgate Valley Country Park. Birmingham City Council is one of the biggest local authorities in United Kingdom and the biggest council in the entire Europe with over 120 councillors representing 40 wards.

With Birmingham GDP of $90 billion, the city agglomeration approximately Birmingham has 2nd biggest economy in UK and 72nd biggest outside London. Albeit, Birmingham grew to prominence as engineering and manufacturing centre. It is the largest centre for employment in public education, health and administration in Great Britain, while after Glasgow and Leeds it is 3rd biggest centre for employment in finance, insurance and banking outside London. Birmingham ranked as beta-world city by Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

Tourism is more and more important part of the local economy. With most important facilities like National Exhibition Centre and International Convention Centre, its area accounts for 42 percent of United Kingdom exhibition and conference trade. Its cultural and sporting venues draw plenty of visitors and have created plenty of famous musicians and bands such as The Spencer Davis Group, Ocean Colour Scene, The Twang and The Streets. Musicians Ozzy Osbourne, Jeff Lynne, John Lodge, Tony Iommi, Joan Armatrading, Roy Wood, Denny Laine, Toyah Willcox, Steve Winwood, Sukshinder Shinda, Fyfe Dangerfield and Jamelia all grew up in Birmingham.

The leading producing theatre of Birmingham is Birmingham Repertory Theatre, which was established in the year 1913 by Barry Jackson for serving art. The Rep pioneered innovations including performance of Shakespeare in contemporary dress launched careers of performers like Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Albert Finney, Peggy Ashcroft and Paul Scofield. Other theatre companies are politically radical Banner Theatre, experimental Stan’s Cafe, Maverick Theatre Company and Birmingham Stage Company. The Birmingham Hippodrome and Alexandra Theatre host extensive touring productions, while specialized drama is carried out on extensive range of stages across Birmingham such as Crescent Theatre, Old Rep, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Custard Factory, The Drum in Aston, mac in Cannon Hill Park and Blue Orange Theatre.

Things to do in Birmingham: Thinktank Planetarium, Birmingham Back to Backs, Baddesley Clinton, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Symphony Hall, Aston Hall, Birmingham Hippodrome, Winterbourne House and Garden, The Pen Room, National Motorcycle Museum, Electric Cinema, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Cannon Hill Park, Shakespeare Express, National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Thinktank Science Museum, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Teamworks Karting, Grand Prix Karting, New Hall Valley Country Park, Coughton Court, Lickey Hills Country Park, Chamberlain Square and more. The Five Points South area just south of downtown is a vibrant neighbourhood, which blocks teeming with upscale boutiques, apartments and restaurants and encompasses University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Let us now know about the types of rooms housed by Sofitel Brussels Le Louise. Every room of the hotel is furnished tastefully and is equipped with the exclusive offer from Sofitel, “MyBed’ to ensure that the guests enjoy good nights’ sleep. If you choose to stay in a Classic Room, you will be greeted with amenities like a flat screen television, tea and coffee maker, minibar, laptop safe, free access to low band internet. The Classic Rooms boast a total area of 240 sq ft and have rain-style showers in their bathrooms. These rooms come with one king size bed.  The Superior Rooms are rooms with 2 single beds. Every Superior Room includes an area of 260 sq ft. These rooms come with every single amenity that is offered in the Classic Rooms of the hotel.

If you choose to stay in a Luxury Room, you will get the opportunity of enjoying the view of the hotel’s garden. Each Luxury Room includes an area of 280 sq ft. There are two types of luxury rooms one with 1 king bed and the other with 2 single beds. Choose the one that suites your requirement. The other amenities present in the Luxury Rooms are almost same as the other two room types of the hotel.

For people looking to stay in suites, Sofitel Brussels Le Louise has two options, the Junior Suites having area of 395 to 533 sq ft and the Opera Suites having area of 1050 sq ft. The specialties of the Junior Suites are a seating area and the bath tub. The Opera Suites are the most luxurious accommodation options of the hotel. The come with fitness equipments, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Hammam, Hermes amenities etc.

During my vacation at the Netherlands, I realized that it is a very unique place on Earth. Its peculiarities include the flatness of its land, dense population, abundant land below the sea level and its prodigious chunks of reclaimed land. The Netherlands impressed me as a gusty country dominated by water bodies, boats and sails.

I literally fell in love with its scenic splendor enhanced by birds, flowers, windmills, dykes and polders. Characterized with its exuberant orange color the Netherlands is inhabited by tall and liberal minded people who have a penchant for cheese, cafes and bikes.

The Netherlands is a blend of panoramic, bucolic and heritage rich Dutch towns and modern metropolitans. I visited Amsterdam and was enchanted by its rustic beauty, canals and coffee shops conflated with a wealth of culture. Located close to this sleepy town is the bustling metropolis of Groningen City, Haarlem, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Leiden, Utrecht City, Maastricht and Delft- an incredibly long list for such a small country. It took me only a few hours to travel to these conurbations by train.

Besides Amsterdam the Netherlands has a handful of rural towns that are replete with national parks, sheep perambulated polders, lovely lakes, sandy beach shores and bleak windy archipelagos. I enjoyed the picturesque vistas of the Netherlands on the best vehicle for exploring the country- a bike.

I was really taken away by the exotic landscapes, rich heritage, modernism of Dutch metropolitans and the vibrancy of the Dutch people. You too should tour the place to experience its joie de vivre.

Temple de Sagrat Cor, a famous church and Tibidabo Amusement Park, two of the most popular tourist destinations of the city can only be reached on this tram. Both the church and the amusement park are located on the mountain top. However, many people also relish their journey on the Tramvia Blau as an exciting activity. Starting from the foothills the ride on this train ends at the Placa Dr Andreu.

How will you reach the starting point of the tram? You can take a L7 train; it starts from one of the central stations of the town, Plaza de Catalunya. From this station, you will need around ten minutes to reach the required but stop. This journey will come with the opportunity of viewing the magnificent sight of the La Rotonda building, which is situated just adjacent to the bus station.

If it’s a sunny day, you might come across a queue waiting for boarding the tram. However, you will not need to wait for long hours as Tramvia Blau trips are extremely frequent; you will find a tram arriving every 15 to 30 minutes. Besides that although the vehicle looks petite from outside, it can accommodate a decent number of people. You will have to pay for your ride only after getting into the tram and finding a seat for you.

The exact location of the Buda Castle is the Castle Hill’s southern tip. It has Castle District bordering its north. Castle District has an absolutely medieval setup; it is home to a number of public buildings, churches and houses of the 19thcentury. The parts of the castle that you should not miss during your visit to the Buda Castle are:

Ballroom:

The castle’s ballroom is situated in the Baroque wing’s 1st floor. It is meticulously decorated using the Baroque artwork of 18th and 19th century. The ballroom of the castle was adorned by these decorations during its post-war renovations.

Palatinal Crypt:

It is the only room that is still surviving at the Buda Castle. The Palatinal Crypt was used continuously by Habsburg family’s Hungarian branch from the year 1920 till 1927. The crypt underwent several reconstructions and each time it was decorated with fascinating artworks, statues and frescoes; each of the work of art used for decorating the crypt was made by some of the most renowned artists of 19th century.

The Main Staircase:

This monumental part of the Buda Castle is present in its Krisztinaváros Wing. This staircase will take you to a glass roofed, airy hall of the Krisztinaváros Wing’s first floor just with 3 flights. Side walls of this hall boasts designs made following the Italian Renaissance styles.

The Guggenheim Museum is located amidst a picturesque backdrop; on one of its side there’s the Nervión River; the river is situated 16m below the level of the other parts of Bilbao. Another end of the museum has been pierced by a bridge called Puente de La Salve; this bridge is the primary route of accessing both ends of the city.

Let us again come back to the architectural features of the Guggenheim Museum. The building of this Spanish museum possesses a great blend of intersecting shapes; it boasts orthogonal blocks made from limestone along with contrasting bent and curved structures coated with titanium. To top them all, the building has glass walls that offer it the transparency and light it requires. The reason behind the inclusion of glass walls is believed to be a step taken for protecting the exhibited artworks from radiation and heat. The titanium panels coating a wide area of the building boasts a guarantee period of 100 years. The design of the Guggenheim Museum itself is as spectacular as the exhibits housed by it. The museum covers a total area of 24,000 sq. m. and has a height of 50m.

Guggenheim Museum stays open all through the week barring Monday. The gate of this Bilbao based attraction opens at 10am and gets closed at 8pm in the evening. Entry fee for adults is 10.50Euros and children below the age of 12 years can get into this museum absolutely free of cost if they come with an adult.

The square of Leidseplein was originally used by the farmers as their wagon parking lots. They used to leave the wagons in this area before entering Amsterdam. Currently, due the fame of Leidseplein’s nightlife, the surrounding area of the square has a number of hotels, out of which some are the best of Amsterdam. Leidseplein is also located near another famous square of the city, the museumplein, which is known for housing the best museums of the city.

If you want to spend majority of your time in Amsterdam at the clubs and pubs of Leidseplein, you should search for accommodation in hotels around the square. One of the most well known hotels of this area is the Marriot. It will require you to walk only for a few minutes to reach the Marriott Hotel from the Leidseplein square. The same can also be said about Amsterdam’s American Hotel. If you love gambling, never miss to visit Holland Casino, which is also located in the surrounding area of this square.

The squares center has innumerable tables that are set up by the watering holes of the locality. Before sunset, these tables are only use for the purpose of people watching and nothing more interesting happens. However, as soon as the night comes, the entire area becomes lively. The crowd coming to this part of Amsterdam is always in search exciting things. The most visited pubs and bars of Leidseplein square are: Bulldog café, Heineken etc.

Once you are in Naples the intriguing masonry work that will catch your attention is catacombs. The most famous of all the catacombs is Catacombe di San Gennaro that dates back to 2nd century and is embellished with Christian frescos and contains within it tombs, vestibules and corridors. Tourists need to know the real market picture of Naples that is way different from the placid shopping malls of modern world. The Mercato di Porta Nolana is the busy street market of Naples where fishmongers and grocery sellers jostle daily and bakeries, deli and cigarette stalls are found at every step.

The Greek-Roman artifacts are showcased at Museo Archeologico Nazionale, which will include the treasure of Pompeii. Art buffs can find the place as a treasure trove.

Eateries

Tourists at Naples, no matter where they belong, will have the wish to devour on pizzas, which is a delicacy of the place. Da Michele is the famous pizzeria service two different varieties of pizzas: margharita pizza topped with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes and marinara topped by garlic, oregano and tomatoes. All those foreigners to Italy, who have munched on pizzas in their native places, thinking that it is the most authentic taste, will know the difference once they take a morsel in Da Michele. You can graze on at the cheese bar of La Stanza del Gusto restaurant and can taste most unique fusion dishes like liver of chicken with strawberry salsa.

Staying in Naples can be reserved even after landing on the place as the rooms are pretty much available all the year round. b&b Diletto a Napoli will offer a vintage cottage including four rooms decorated with traditional and modern Italian portraits.

Getting around

The metro lines in Naples form a mesh all over the city and knowing the city inside out is not an issue when you have a map of metro in Naples.

Soon I left for my place as I decided to stay in medium class hotel within the city of London. My trip started the next day I was hard up for forty winks because of jet lag. The next day I left after my breakfast and decided to catch Glimpse of the Buckingham Palace. The fees to enter the palace were truly exorbitant but once I entered I realized why tourists don’t mind paying a few pounds. I paraded with the rest of the visitors toward to view the royal pageantry. Though I didn’t get the scope to peek into the royal residence, yet for a while I imagined myself to be royal guest. The huge rooms with sky high ceilings and behemoth portraits was shock at first, but soon I accustomed as I engrossed more into the centuries old artifacts on display.

The very next day was driving to the Tower Hill fortress which is infamous for the execution of the royal members. The fortress has an eerie past where we find blood shed and severing of head. The fortress today houses some of the priceless royal jewelries and armories. The place Tower Hall is filled with surprises and the sprawling area took off my whole day without notice. The entire sight took an hour to complete whilst I stooped at every single point, where the guide had a history to say. But most of the history was of execution or murder. I went near the places identified as torture centers and royal menagerie. It was interesting to hear the tales of royal ghost in the tower as people at various occasions have seen specters of royal soul in the premises.

Isle of Wight

The lovers of dinosaurs as well as the seekers of their fossils fly this islet that is accessible from the Britain’s south coast. One of the important dinosaur sites is the Compton Beach where there exist countless fossils as well as dino footprints in the rocks. For a complete educational explore, look for the Dinosaur Farm Museum close by (01983/740844) where the staff will show you all possible things right from the sandpit to the bones. Watch the assistants repairing the real bones, while your children are indulged in fossil sandpit, the 3D dinosaur jigsaws, and dinosaur rubbings. Another interesting it at the Sandown town where the interactive museum called the Dinosaur Isle in the shape of a colossal pterodacytl houses the dedicated gallery housing the remodeled carcasses, fossils, two animated dinos, and life-sized fleshed models.

Jurassic Coast

Expanding from the west of Dorset to the east of Devon, this is the UNESCO World Heritage site of 85 miles preserving the richest fossil-hunting site in UK along with the myriad of dinosaur museums. Charmouth is the most famous spot located in the middle whose cliffs are lush with the ancient animal relics. However, you should not hammer or dig in the cliffs. For some great fossil-hunting education, the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is the best place to be with its rock pool strolls, fossil-hunting walks, hammer renting, and information on how assemble the remnants responsibly. By the way, this was the area where more than two full skeletons were found in the last century. So, you potential for the finds are really high! Visit www.charmouth.org/chcc/ for more information.

If you are coming in late April, your best spot will be the little Lyme Regis town where the Fossil Festival as well as the chapel hosting the Dinosaurland are the major attractions. For more knowledge, visit www.dinosaurland.co.uk and www.fossilfestival.com. Additionally, just a few miles inland, take a tour of the Dinosaur Museum in the Dorchester town.

The Fossil Coast

Engulfing some 35 miles from Staithes to Flamborough along the Yorkshire shore, this is the beloved destination of the prehistory lovers who love to explore the footprints, bones, cliffs, and beaches. In this area, the major attractions include the Robin Hood’s Bay and nearby Whitby port offering footprints on beaches and the Whitby Museum; Port Mulgrave featuring fossils of reptiles but not recommended for children due to its high difficulty level of access; guides and trails from the tourist offices; The Moors Centre at Danby with a Dino Club, walks for exploring the Jurassic life, and fossil-identification family days; and Scarborough’s Rotunda Museum.

Lavernock Point

Located close to Cardiff and stretching between Barry and Penarth in SW, this is the site of enchanting colorful cliffs with Blue Lias limestone – formations during the Jurassic and Triassic times. That is why these cliffs are the homes of the fossil vertebrae of several aquatic reptiles including plesiosaurs. What you need to see is the investigating series of bone beds nearby to look for reptile and fish bones, scales, teeth, and coprolites (dung) along with the dino footprints.

Do also explore the town of Cardiff where the major attraction for you is the National Museum of Wales with its gallery called Evolution of Wales housing a model of the SW landscape that used to exist before 200 million years. So, you can easily spot here the dino footprints, skeletons, as well as the samples of prehistoric aquatic creatures living off the South Wales shore and Dorset.