Thursday, December 17, 2009

A Visit To Birmingham - West Midlands

By Frederick Hoymer

The city of Birmingham - West Midlands provides a visitor with the chance to see both modern architecture, art, and dance as well as historic. The activities and events that are sponsored throughout the city celebrate its diversity and change.

Birmingham is home to the International Dance Festival. Here you can see participants from around the world gather to showcase their unique dance styles. Birmingham is home to the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Hippodrome, and Xchange dance troupes who all perform during the festival. A visitor can take part in dance lessons and activities that occur during the four week festival.

The entire city gets involved in the festival and there are nightly musicals and concerts held throughout the city. This year the festival will be expanding its sixty performances to include modern and cultural dance performed by troupes who will be attending many of the other activities that occur during the festival.

Visiting the Jewelry Quarter is a great way to see a working Victorian District. The city has renovated much the the district and you will find many shops, boutiques and cafes that provide the ambiance and flavor the living and working in the Jewelry Quarter when it was at it's busiest. The District still produces the finest jewelry in the world and gives a visitor an array of unique visual experiences when they visit.

There are several historical buildings that are designed in the English Baroque style of architecture. Using rich colors, bold lines, and unique curved shapes, the style was used in 1690 -1730 in only a few locations in England. The Castle Bromwich Gardens are ten acres of walled garden built in this style. The gardens feature over 600 species of plants from the period and contain a beautiful glass house at the end of the Holly Maze.

Several miles of the 29 mile canals that flow through Birmingham have been restored and offer you cafes, shops and boutiques along this unique motorway. A visitor can catch one of the boats that travel the canals and see much of the city's beautiful architecture and hidden treasures from the water.

The Botanical Garden is a beautiful fifteen acre site that provides you with a wonderful opportunity to see the Victorian style in a garden. The bandstand in the central garden is home to many of the events that take place in Birmingham year round. You will enjoy the renovated glass houses that provide themes ranging from sub-tropical to desert climates.

Visiting Birmingham, one sees a perfect blend of the historic and modern. This thriving city gives a visitor who likes to shop and enjoy modern luxury the chance to enjoy the theatre, and malls. For visitors who love the history of England and the architecture that embodies it, you are given the opportunity to enjoy buildings, museums, and galleries that offer relics and history dating back to medieval times. The city is truly enjoyable for people with varied interests.

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