Cruise Destination - Liverpool, the Beatles and much more

Thinking of Liverpool, we think first - the Beatles? There is much more to see in the cruise destination Liverpool! 
by Alex Naughton, editing by Earl of Cruise

Liverpool, Waterfront from Birkenhead - Source: Wikipedia (original seize)

Liverpool is a city region like no other and is a great maritime city. The very name is renowned around the world and conjures up images of a glorious maritime history, world-beating musical heritage, two of the Premiership’s biggest football teams (Liverpool FC and Everton FC) and not one, but two majestically different Cathedrals. Liverpool is also a vibrant and youthful city with its four universities - University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, EdgeHill University and Liverpool Hope University. This North West city and the surrounding City Region is known for its maritime heritage, sporting fame and musical heritage, but it is also so much more.

It is now bulging with fabulous new shops, has buzzing new restaurants, trendy wine bars, as well as a world class cultural offering with more museums and galleries than anywhere outside of London. Not forgetting its inhabitants, of course, who are famously friendly and will welcome you with pride. Liverpool is an unforgettable place with a fun-loving spirit and it provokes a deep connection and there’s always something exciting going on here and across the wider City Region.

By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe coupled with close links with the Atlantic SlaveTrade furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city and the Second City of the British Empire. 

The British Empire - Source: Wikipedia (original seize) 

Liverpool is also well known for its inventions and innovations, particularly in terms of infrastructure, transportation and general construction. Railways, ferries and the skyscraper were all pioneered in the city. Liverpool was home to both the CUNARAD and WHITE STAR LINE, and was the port of registry of the ocean liners TITANIC and OLYMPIC and others such as the LUSITANIA, MAURETANIA, AQUITANIA, QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Labelled the World Capital City of Pop by Guinness World Records, Liverpool has produced a wealth of musical talent since the mid-20th century. Musicians from Liverpool have produced more number one hit songs than any other city. The popularity of The Beatles, Billy Fury, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the other groups from the Merseybeat era in the 1960s, and later bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen, Frankie Goes to Hollywood for example and even more recent ones such as the Zutons and the Wombats contributes to Liverpool's status as a tourist destination; tourism forms a significant part of the city's modern economy.

And we should not forget, Letter to Brezhnev, a 1985 British romantic comedy film about working class life in contemporary Liverpool. It was written by Frank Clarke and directed by Chris Bernard. It starred Alexandra Pigg, Margi Clarke, Alfred Molina, Peter Firth, and Tracy Marshak-Nash (credited as Tracy Lea). Letter To Brezhnev presents Margaret Thatcher's high-unemployment Liverpool as a dangerous and near hopeless city.

Source: Wikipedia

Cruise Port of Call:

Photo: Pier Head in Liverpool

Liverpool has always looked across the world for inspiration and investment and at various points in history was one of the centres of world trade for the UK. Over the past decade, some of that glory and international perspective has returned. The Liverpool Waterfront is an iconic location recognised around the world, with millions of tourists heading to the World Heritage Site each year to visit the attractions and businesses who have made the area a unique experience.  It is said that on departing Liverpool and the River Mersey you can turn right for North America, turn left for Africa and straight ahead for Ireland which you can’t possibly miss!

The best way to enter Liverpool is by ship along the River Mersey where cruise ships can berth at the Liverpool Cruise Terminalat Pier Head which is located in the heart of the city centre and waterfront.

Liverpool Cruise Terminal has a reputation as one of the most desirable cruise destinations in Europe. Centrally placed in the Irish Sea, Liverpool is an efficient, friendly and convenient UK departure point as well as a port of call; rich in maritime heritage and the birthplace of the first real and regular Transatlantic passenger and mail steam line - British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, CUNARD LINE.

CUNARD´s QUEEN´ MARY 2 in Liverpool - Source: Britain Magazine

In 2015 Liverpool's cruise industry brought in around £7 million to the local economy as the city welcomed 81,000 visitors and 37,000 crew. Each passenger spent an estimated £70 in the city, with crew members spending around £30. World class hospitality has ensured Liverpool is a firm favourite with international passengers - Cruise Critic awarded Liverpool the ‘Best UK Port of Call’ for the 2013, 2014 and 2016 seasons. In 2016, the Liverpool Cruise Terminal will play host to 64 ships - ten more than the previous year - bringing in more than 85,000 passengers.

From the Liverpool Cruise Terminal it is just a short walk to all the major attractions, shops and hotels of Liverpool Waterfront and Liverpool City Centre.

The Destination:

Liverpool St George's Hall - Source: Liverpool Echo

From world famous architecture, world-class waterfront, magnificent history and museums to music legends revolutionising popular culture, Liverpool is a city region with culture and creativity in its DNA. Through spectacular festivals, dramatic sporting attractions and unique art it continues to be a gateway for UK culture, attracting millions of visitors every year. Supported by a superb retail proposition and a great array of branded and independent quality hotels, the city region has all the necessary facilities to host major international events and conferences. The purpose built ACC Liverpool (Arena, Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre) is a unique, world class conference and arena complex situated in a world heritage waterfront in the heart of one of the most vibrant, welcoming and fast developing cities in Europe. It is also home to one of the largest concentrations of national museums and galleries outside London in the form of National Museums Liverpool and Tate Liverpool. It is also an important retail hub including Liverpool ONE shopping area as well as the Metquarter Liverpool and Bold Street.

Liverpool is also a great sporting city region. The city region boasts three historic football clubs. Liverpool is the most successful footballing city in England and is the only one in England to have staged top division football every single season since the formation of the Football League in 1888, and both of the city's clubs play in high-capacity stadiums. Everton and Liverpool are separated by just one mile and are two of the Premiership’s finest. In Liverpool ONE shopping area there are club shops for Liverpool FC and Everton FC where you can buy team shirts and other items. Wirral’s Tranmere Rovers play in League One at Prenton Park in Birkenhead. Fans of Liverpool FC can also stay in the Shankly Hotel in Liverpool. This hotel is dedicated to legendary football manager Bill Shankly, this elegant, city-centre hotel showcases sports memorabilia. It includes a museum “The Shankly Experience” that provides a personal insight into the life of one of the greatest football managers of all time and legend of Liverpool FC. The region is also home to England’s Golf Coast, the finest stretch of championship golf in the world, with no fewer than three Royal Links courses which have hosted endless Open Championships and Ryder Cups. These include Royal Birkdale in Southport and Royal Liverpool at Hoylake. Royal Birkdale has staged no fewer than eight Open Championships and two Ryder Cups, and is deservedly among the very best golf courses in the world. England’s Golf Coast also includes the fabulous Royal Liverpool at Hoylake in Wirral. Royal Liverpool is the second oldest seaside links course in England, as well as home to one of the best collections of golf memorabilia outside St Andrews. The Liverpool city region is a world-class destination for golf. Within its boundaries sits England’s Golf Coast, home to 12 of the finest golf courses in Britain. With no less than seven courses in the ‘Top 100 Courses of the UK & Ireland’, the concentration of championship golf available is unparalleled. Horse-racing is huge in the city; It is home to Aintree and Haydock Park racecourses that offer top-quality racing including the world-famous Grand National Festival at Aintree each spring. Liverpool is also close to a number of top rugby teams, including St Helens (Saints) - the most successful Rugby League club of the Super League era.

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral - courtesy Visit Liverpool

·         In 2003 Liverpool was awarded World Capital City of Pop status by Guinness World Records as musicians from Liverpool have produced more number one hit songs than any other city.

·         Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City including its iconic waterfront was awarded UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE status in July 2004, ranking Liverpool alongside other internationally known historic cities such as Edinburgh, Bath, Vienna, and Venice.

·         In 2008 Liverpool was EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE and benefited from significant investment and visitor spending during this transformational year (£1.6 billion).

·         The magnificent Albert Dock in Liverpool has the UK’s largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings.

·         The clock faces on the Royal Liver Building are the largest in the UK.

·         Liverpool is the birthplace of the Beatles who are officially the most successful band in music history.

·         There are more national museums and galleries in Liverpool including National Museums Liverpool and Tate Liverpool for example than in any other UK city outside London.

·         Liverpool has two cathedrals; the Anglican Cathedral is the largest in the UK and the 5^th largest in the world.

·         The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was the first school of its kind in the world.

·         Liverpool has been a centre of innovation. Railways, transatlantic steamships, municipal trams, electric trains were all pioneered in Liverpool as modes of mass transit. In 1829 and 1836 the first railway tunnels in the world were constructed under Liverpool. From 1950 to 1951, the world's first scheduled passenger helicopter service ran between Liverpool and Cardiff. Shipowner Sir Alfred Lewis Jones introduced the banana to Great Britain in 1884. The Mersey Railway, opened in 1886, incorporated the world's first tunnel under a tidal estuary and the world's first deep-level underground stations. The Liverpool Overhead Railway, the world's first elevated electrified railway. It also was the first railway in the world to use electric multiple units, the first to employ automatic signalling, and the first to install an escalator.

·         In the arts, Liverpool was home to the first lending library, athenaeum society, arts centre and public art conservation centre. Liverpool is also home to the UK's oldest surviving classical orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the oldest surviving repertory theatre, the Liverpool Playhouse.

·         Liverpool inventor Frank Hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture; he produced three of the most popular lines of toys in the 20th century: Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys.

·         Liverpool is home to Europe’s oldest Chinese community (the first residents of the city's Chinatown arrived as seamen with Blue Funnel in the 19th century) and has the biggest Chinese Arch outside of China.

·         The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country dating to at least the 1730s.

·         The first overseas consulate of the United States was opened in Liverpool in 1790, and it remained operational for almost two centuries.

·         Liverpool is the UK’s most filmed location outside of London.

·         In the 1960s Liverpool was the centre of the "Merseybeat" sound, which became synonymous with The Beatles and fellow Liverpudlian rock bands. Influenced by American rhythm and blues and rock music, they also strongly affected American music for years and were internationally popular.

·         Liverpool also has more public art than any other UK city outside of London.

·         Liverpool Airport is the first British airport to be renamed after an individual: the late singer and composer John Lennon of the Beatles, an internationally known band from the 1960s.

·         The Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool hosts the Grand National which is the most famous steeplechase in the world. In 2010, the Grand National became the first horse race to be televised in high-definition in the UK.

·         In December 2015 the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) crowned the Liverpool Waterfront as ENGLAND’S GREATEST PLACE.

·         In December 2015 Liverpool was awarded UNESCO CITY OF MUSIC status as part of the prestigious global UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Liverpool Waterfront - courtesy Visit Liverpool

The city was granted UNESCO CITY OF MUSIC status due to music’s place at the heart of Liverpool’s contemporary culture, education and the economy – from the live music scene to tourism, music management courses and digital businesses. Liverpool and the UK have made an outstanding contribution to popular music culture on a global scale, fostering hundreds of iconic acts and classic artists loved the world over. UK youth culture has given birth to punk, dance and pop music, and UK festivals and venues attract millions of music fans each year. Liverpool is a leading centre for music heritage tourism. Each year The Beatles and their music heritage generate £70million to Liverpool’s local economy. Its urban festivals like Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF), Liverpool Sound City, Creamfields and Liverpool Psych Fest have not only cemented the city as a haven for music, but also helped to develop young industry professionals. The designation also noted the importance and contribution of established names such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Creamfields, Africa Oye and LIPA. Naturally the legacy of the Merseybeat bands in the 1960s such as the Beatles also plays an important role.

Liverpool is renowned for its musical influence and this status is the ultimate accolade for a city which lives and breathes music. Liverpool is also home to many recording studios including the legendary Parr Street Studios which is the largest music recording studio outside London. Other well known music recording studios include CrosstownStudios, Mersey City Music, Elevator Studios, Whitewood Recording Studio, Motor Museum Studios, Crash Studios, Quadrangle Studios and Vulcan Studios. This award recognises Liverpool as one of the world’s great music cities and opens up opportunities to further market the city’s musical heritage and, ultimately, will bring more tourists to the city.

The legendary four, The Beatles, statue at Pier Head, the Three Grces, Liverpool

In Liverpool you can walk in the footsteps of the legendary Beatles and experience the sights and sounds of the city as you visit their childhood homes and places that inspired their lyrics including Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. In the city centre you can wander down Mathew Street and enjoy a drink and live music in the world famous Cavern Club, before talking a photograph with the statue of John Lennon and Eleanor Rigby and marvelling at the Liverpool “Wall of Fame”. Another must see is the Casbah Coffee Club out in West Derby Village. This was the launch pad of The Beatles, the greatest pop phenomenon of the twentieth century. For the first time in 40 years, you can visit the unique basement club as it was in the beginning. You can even stay in the Beatles themed Hard Day’s Night Hotel. On the iconic Liverpool Waterfront have your picture taken with the life sized bronze statue of the Fab Four at Pier Head outside the Mersey Ferries terminal and set in front of the Three Graces. You can also visit the Beatles Story Museum where the latest digital technology brings the story of the musical icons vividly to life.

Liverpool is a must see tourism destination and delivers world class, ground breaking events (http://www.visitliverpool.com/festival-city) including the Liverpool International Music Festival, International Mersey River Festival, Liverpool Sound City Festival, International Beatles Week, Liverpool Literary Festival, Liverpool Food & Drink Festival, LightNight, Liverpool Psych Fest, Liverpool Biennial, Africa Oye, Brazilica Festival, Liverpool Comedy Festival, Creamfields, Liverpool Shakespeare Festival, Royal de Luxe Giants, Liverpool Fashion Week, Southport Air Show, Southport Flower Show etc. To have the iconic three Cunard Queens (Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth) gather together on the River Mersey in their company's spiritual homeport and birthplace in 2015 for Cunard Line's 175th anniversary celebrations was a spectacular sight and nothing short of majestic and showed a global audience that the city region is a world class destination.

The three CUNARD QUEEN´s, QUEEN MARY 2 (middle), QUEEN VICTORIA and QUEEN ELIZABETH (top), Liverpool 25 May 2015 - courtesy CUNARD, 175 years

Liverpool is made up of a number of distinct quarters and neighbourhoods including Liverpool Waterfront, St George’s Quarter, Cavern Quarter, Ropewalks, Baltic Triangle, Chinatown and lastly Georgian Quarter.

Liverpool Waterfront:

Liverpool, Waterfront - mv MARCO POLO

At the heart of the Liverpool Waterfront are Pier Head and the Three Graces (Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building). In front is the Mersey Ferries terminal and close by at Prince’s Dock is the Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry terminal as well as the Liverpool Cruise Terminal. At Prince’s Dock there is the Malmaison Hotel which is one of Liverpool’s top hotels along with the Hilton Hotel next to Chavasse Park.

To the northern end of the Waterfront beyond Prince’s Dock is the historic Stanley Dock complex (also part of the World Heritage Site) which is now gradually being regenerated after many years of neglect and dereliction. Stanley Dock sits proudly at the heart of Liverpool's docks - the largest and most complete system of historic docks anywhere in the world. The docks at the mouth of the Mersey River, including Stanley Dock, pioneered modern dock technology, transport and port management. Meanwhile Liverpool hummed with emigrants from all over Europe preparing to depart for a life in the New World. It quickly became the Second City of the Empire and trading through its docks and canals was at the core of this success. The North Warehouse was built in 1846 and finished in 1854 and has been derelict for a number of years. Part of the North Warehouse was damaged in an air raid in World War II. The Rum Warehouse which is attached to the North Warehouse and built in the 1950’s, has become a major new conference, banqueting and exhibition venue for 21st century Liverpool as well as a hotel – the Titanic Hotel Liverpool. The main Tobacco Warehouse at Stanley Dock was the largest brick building in the world at the time of construction in 1901 and today this is being regenerated into luxury apartments.

Stanley Dock’s imposing former warehouses, which are grade II listed, were the backdrop for much of the Hollywood blockbuster Sherlock Holmes, which starred Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law. They also featured in the superhero spectacular Captain America: The First Avenger. More recently, Stanley Dock has played its part in the highly acclaimed TV series, Peaky Blinders.

The Mersey Ferries operate from their ferry terminal at Pier Head. Two ferries (Snowdrop and Royal Iris of the Mersey) operate the service and their seasonal Manchester Ship Canal cruises.

The Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey has been famous since Gerry and the Pacemakers immortalised it in the heyday of Merseybeat. In April 2015, Sir Peter Blake – the artist behind the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – was commissioned by Liverpool Biennial and Tate Liverpool to ‘dazzle’ one of the ferries, Snowdrop. The result is a magnificent psychedelic design that can be seen crossing the river throughout the day on the River Explorer cruise, and is a must-do when visiting the city. The ticket also includes entry to the U-Boat Story attraction at Woodside ferry terminal. Another visitor attraction, Spaceport, is located at Seacombe ferry terminal and lastly the Beatles Story is housed in two locations at Pier Head and Albert Dock. It is the world's largest permanent exhibition purely devoted to the lives and times of The Beatles. Located in the Fab Four’s hometown of Liverpool, the Beatles Story takes visitors on an atmospheric journey through the lives, times, culture and music of The Beatles.

In front of the Three Graces at Pier Head is the Beatles statue which is an iconic statue of the Fab Four, in their hometown. The Beatles Statue arrived on Liverpool's Waterfront in December 2015. Donated by the famous Cavern Club, the placement of the statue coincides with the 50 year anniversary of the band's last gig played in Liverpool, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. It's the city's most popular selfie spot! If you look at the window of the HMV shop in Liverpool ONE you will see its inspiration.

On the Pier Head is located a statue of Captain Johnny Walker RN – the greatest hero of the Battle of the Atlantic. Based at Gladstone Dock his 2nd Support Group hunted U-Boats out in the Atlantic and turned the Battle of Atlantic in Britain’s favour. Leaving port in HMS Starling, with the tune of a “Hunting We Will Go” blaring from his ships tannoy, Walker sank more U-Boats than any other Allied commander, once sinking 5 U-boats in 10 days while escorting a convoy from Gibraltar. He died on July 9th 1944 aged 48, his death attributed to exhaustion. His funeral was held at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. After the service his coffin was processed through the streets of Liverpool, and then Johnny Walker was embarked on HMS Hesperus at the Pier Head landing stage and buried at sea in the waters of Liverpool Bay.

There are many memorials, statues and plaques located along the Pier Head and waterfront which commemorate those who served and died in both the Royal and Merchant Navy, together with sailors from other countries who served and died alongside them. Running the length of the plaza at Pier Head in front of the Three Graces is the Canada Boulevard, a walkway containing memorial plaques in memory of Canadians who gave their life in the Battle of the Atlantic.

The Liverpool Naval Memorial, also known as the Memorial to the Missing of the Naval Auxiliary Personnel of the Second World War or the Merchant Navy War Memorial, erected in memory of merchant sailors who died serving with Royal Navy vessels during the six-year struggle for naval supremacy, is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It commemorates nearly 1,400 men from the British Merchant Navy who died on active service with Royal Navy in the Second World War, and who have no known grave. More than 13,000 officers and seamen of the Merchant Navy agreed to serve with the Royal Navy in the Second World War, serving mainly in auxiliary vessels such as armed merchant cruisers. The depot for registration and administration of the naval auxiliaries from the Merchant Navy was established at Liverpool. The memorial comprises a column of Portland stone topped by a glazed lantern, standing on a Portland stone platform surrounded by curved walls which support a pair of stone globes, one terrestrial and one celestial. It bears the inscription "These officers and men of the Merchant Navy died while serving with the Royal Navy and have no grave but the sea 1939-1945", and the names of the dead are inscribed on 25 bronze plaques arranged around the Portland stone base of the memorial. It became a Grade II listed building in 2010.

Among several other memorials at Pier Head are memorials to seamen from Norway, Poland, China, the Netherlands and Belgium who served in the Second World War, and a memorial dedicated to the Merchant Navy unveiled in 1998.

The Repatriation Memorial was unveiled on 17 October 2011 by camp survivor Maurice Naylor CBE, 91, in front of 650 guests. He was captured in 1942 in Singapore and spent three and a half years as a Prisoner of War, toiling on the infamous Burma Railway, a project which claimed the lives of thousands. The plaque is engraved with the names of the repatriation ships that docked in Liverpool. The memorial commemorates the more than 20,000 servicemen and over a thousand civilian internees - men, women and children - disembarked on the Pier Head at Liverpool in just eight weeks from October 8 to December 5, 1945. The majority were captured on February 15, 1942, when Singapore fell. These prisoners of war were used as a slave labour force by their captors and more than a quarter of them died due to untreated disease, neglect and brutality.

There is also a plaque unveiled in 2008 in memory of the Arandora Star disaster honouring the more than 800 people who were killed when a liner was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Irish coast. The Arandora Star was carrying Italian, Austrian and German internees and prisoners of war from Liverpool to Newfoundland in 1940 when it was hit. There were also 868 survivors of the disaster. They managed to scramble into lifeboats before being rescued by a Canadian destroyer.

In 2013 a memorial plaque was unveiled at Pier Head to honour the Lancastria disaster and those lost in Britain’s worst maritime disaster, when the Liverpool liner Lancastria was sunk in the Second World War. This was also the biggest death toll for UK forces in a single WWII event, with at least 4,000 killed – but possibly many more, as up to 9,000 people were onboard.

The Memorial to the Engine Room Heroes of the Titanic is a granite monument located on St. Nicholas Place, at the Pier Head, in Liverpool, England. The city of Liverpool is strongly associated with the ill-fated liner that sank on 15 April 1912, after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic with the loss of some 1,517 lives. The memorial on Liverpool's waterfront is dedicated to the 244 engineers who lost their lives in the disaster as they remained in the ship supplying the stricken liner with electricity and other amenities for as long as possible. The monument is notable as the first monument in the United Kingdom to depict the working man.

The Three Graces - Source: Wikipedia (original seize)

The Three Graces comprise the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building and are an iconic feature of Liverpool’s Waterfront.

The Royal Liver Building was opened in 1911 and the building is the purpose-built home of the Royal Liver Assurance group, which had been set up in the city in 1850 to provide locals with assistance related to losing a wage-earning relative. One of the first buildings in the world to be built using reinforced concrete, the Royal Liver Building stands at 98.2 m (322 ft) tall to the top of the spires, and 50.9 m (167 ft) to the main roof. It was the tallest storied building in Europe from completion until 1932 and the tallest in the United Kingdom until 1961. The building is crowned by a pair of clock towers: as a ship passed along the river, mariners could tell the time from these. The clocks were made by Gent and Co. of Leicester. The clock faces are 7.6 m (25 ft) in diameter, larger than those of London's famous landmark Big Ben, holding the distinction of being the largest electronically driven clocks in the UK. They were originally named George clocks, because they were started at the precise time that King George V was crowned on 22 June 1911. Today the Royal Liver Building is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city of Liverpool and is home to two fabled Liver Birds that watch over the city and the sea. Popular legend has it that while one giant bird looks out over the city to protect its people, the other bird looks out to sea at the new sailors coming in to port. Alternatively, local legend states one Liver Bird is male, looking inland to see if the pubs are open, whilst the other is female, looking out to sea to see if there are any handsome sailors coming up the river. Legend has it that were these two birds to fly away, then the city would cease to exist.

The Cunard Building was designed by William Edward Willink and Philip Coldwell Thicknesse and was constructed between 1914 and 1917. The building's style is a mix of Italian Renaissance and Greek Revival, and its development has been particularly influenced by Italian palace design. The building is noted for the ornate sculptures that adorn its sides. The building was, from its construction until the 1960s, the headquarters of the Cunard Line, and the building still retains the name of its original tenants. It was also home to Cunard's passenger facilities for trans-Atlantic journeys that departed from Liverpool. Within the building there were passenger facilities including separate waiting rooms for first, second and third class passengers, a booking hall, luggage storage space, and a currency exchange. In 1934 the Cunard Steamship Company merged with the White Star Line to form Cunard White Star Line, which became the largest passenger steamship company in the world, helping to make Liverpool one of the most important centres of the British trans-Atlantic ocean liner industry. The Cunard building subsequently acted as the central headquarters for the newly merged firm, with both administrative and ship-designing facilities located within the building. Many ships and liners were developed and designed at the Cunard Building, including the RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2. The building was acquired in 2013 by Liverpool City Council and now houses the council offices as well as other tenants.

From 2017, the Cunard Building will be home to the British Music Experience visitor attraction. This permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of popular British Music will open at Liverpool's Cunard Building, February 2017. The British Music Experience is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of popular music in Britain. State of the art effects and iconic memorabilia will show how rock, pop, dance and other genres were formed and have influenced the last sixty years of British culture. It will take you all the way back to 1945 and bring you up to the present day through the different musical genres. You will eavesdrop on interviews with the stars, witness amazing artefacts “come to life”, record songs, learn instruments, bust moves on the dancefloor and immerse yourself in our live music experience. As you progress through the 8 ‘edge zones’, you will explore the rich heritage of British music against a social and political context. The Museum boasts an unrivalled collection of artist memorabilia and footage, and charts the beginnings, rise and influence of British pop from 1945 to the present day. Learn how immigration changed our musical landscape, hear how music challenged the status quo and see how our iconic musicians conquered the world.

The Port of Liverpool Building was designed by Sir Arnold Thornely and F.B. Hobbs and was developed in collaboration with Briggs and Wolstenholme. It was constructed between 1904 and 1907, with a reinforced concrete frame that is clad in Portland Stone. The building was the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) for 87 years, from 1907 to 1994, when the company relocated to new premises at Seaforth Dock. In 2001 it was sold to Downing, a Liverpool-based property developer, and between 2006 and 2009 underwent a major £10m restoration that restored many original features of the building. Throughout the building, there are numerous references to the sea and the maritime operations of both Liverpool and the British Empire. The main entrance gates are decorated with a globe supported by dolphins, while the cast iron gates and gate piers are decorated with mermaids, shells and anchors, and have shields with the initials "M.D. & H.B.". The outside light fittings are designed such that the lights themselves appear to be held in the hands of the Roman God Neptune] Similarly, the lifts are also decorated with maritime references, in the form of gilded emblems representing the globe, seahorses and anchors. In the central hall, the frieze between the ground and first floor is adorned with the words of psalm 107: "They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. Anno Domini MCMVII". Today it houses offices of many companies.

On the Strand side of the Three Graces is the art deco Mersey Tunnel ventilation tower for the Queensway Tunnel next to the Port of Liverpool Building. The Queensway Tunnel was opened in 1934 and at the time of its opening it was the longest road tunnel in the world, a title it held for 14 years until the opening of the Vielha Tunnel in Spain in 1948, though it remained the longest underwater tunnel until 1955. In September 2009, a scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 was filmed in the tunnel, where Harry skips on a bus while on Hagrid's enchanted motorbike was filmed in the tunnel. In 2012 the tunnel was used for the filming of a chase scene for Fast & Furious 6. Guided tours of the Queensway Tunnel are available on a pre-booked only basis. 

In 1715 the first ever commercial wet dock opened in Liverpool, the Old Dock, originally known as Thomas Steers’ Dock. On Thomas Steers Way, in Liverpool ONE there is a viewing portal to the original dock that has been carefully preserved underneath the retail and leisure complex. The National Museums Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum run free tours of this enclosed dock.

The waterfront is home to some of the city’s enviable collection of national museums. The newest major addition to the Liverpool skyline is the distinctive white lines of the Museum of Liverpool, which was built in 2011 to sit alongside the Three Graces. The Museum of Liverpool is the largest newly-built national museum in the UK for more than 100 years. Inside, the museum explores how the port and its people have shaped the city’s story. You can climb aboard an original full-size Liverpool Overhead Railway carriage; sing a city hit on the karaoke, or experience life in an 1870 Liverpool house. The famous steam locomotive, Lion, dating from 1837 and which starred in the Titfield Thunderbolt film can also be seen on display at the museum on the ground floor.

In September 2016 the Museum of Liverpool won “the My Glazing.com‘s Window with a View” award! The view from the Museum of Liverpool is much-loved by local people, as well as visitors from across the UK and around the globe. The window is an incredible vantage point. It takes in the Three Graces on Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, but it also looks out across the River Mersey and towards the Irish Sea. The view encompasses so much of what makes Liverpool unique, from its heritage and architecture to its people and geography.

Albert Dock - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Further along the waterfront to the south is the historic Albert Dock complex which is home to a number of museums including the Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Tate Liverpool and the Beatles Story. The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick. It was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world. At the time of its construction the Albert Dock was considered a revolutionary docking system because ships were loaded and unloaded directly from/to the warehouses. Two years after it opened it was modified to feature the world's first hydraulic cranes. Today the magnificent Albert Dock in Liverpool has the UK’s largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings and is also the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom outside London, with in excess of four million visitors per year.

Albert Dock is also the starting point for the Magical Mystery Tour operated by the Cavern Club. This is a two-hour bus trip taking in various Beatles landmarks, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. The tour finishes at the legendary Cavern Club where you can enjoy live music every afternoon from the Cavern’s resident musicians.

Across from Albert Dock is Liverpool ONE shopping area and Liverpool ONE bus station as well as Chavasse Park. Adjacent to the Liverpool ONE bus station is the Hilton Hotel which is Liverpool’s most prestigious hotel and a regular haunt of celebrities and special functions and events.

Another popular venue is Merseyside Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum, a former warehouse which has four floors of exhibits looking at the influence the water has had on Liverpool over the last three centuries. It also houses the ”Border Force's National Museum: Seized! - Borderand Customs Uncovered” which is in the basement. Like all of the city’s national museums, they are completely free.

The International Slavery Museum opened in August 2007 and in March 2010 welcomed its millionth visitor. 2007 was the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in Britain, and the city of Liverpool's 800th birthday. It is the only museum of its kind to look at aspects of historical and contemporary slavery as well as being an international hub for resources on human rights issues. The transatlantic slave trade was the greatest forced migration in history. And yet the story of the mass enslavement of Africans by Europeans is one of resilience and survival against all the odds, and is a testament to the unquenchable nature of the human spirit. It addresses ignorance and misunderstanding by looking at the deep and permanent impact of slavery and the slave trade on Africa, South America, the USA, the Caribbean and Western Europe. The International Slavery Museum highlights the international importance of slavery, both in a historic and contemporary context. Working in partnership with other museums with a focus on freedom and enslavement, the museum provides opportunities for greater awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery today. It is located in Liverpool's Albert Dock, at the centre of a World Heritage site and only yards away from the dry docks where 18th century slave trading ships were repaired and fitted out.

On the waterfront near Albert Dock is the Billy Fury statue. The statue commemorates the life and times of this pop pioneer who had 13 hit singles before The Beatles even charted. The statue was commissioned by ‘The Sound of

Fury’ fan club following six years of fundraising and was then donated to National Museums Liverpool. In 2007, it was moved to its current location, outside the Piermaster’s House on Albert Dock. It was here that a young Billy worked as a deckhand on the Mersey tugboat, the Formby, prior to becoming famous.

In the Canning Drydocks near the Merseyside Maritime Museum can be seen the Edmund Gardner pilot boat (she is currently in Dazzle livery commemorating WW1). The Edmund Gardner pilot cutter was built in 1953 by Philip & Sons, Dartmouth. During her working life of almost 30 years the Edmund Gardner was essentially a base out in the Irish Sea for the Pilotage Service, providing accommodation for up to 32 pilots at a time. The pilots met all shipping approaching the Mersey and guided them into and out of the docks, to ensure their safety. She was retired in 1982.

In front of the Edmund Gardner on the quayside is the Lusitania Propeller. This 22.5 ton, four-bladed propeller is one of four which drove Cunard's RMS Lusitania across the Atlantic on her tragic final voyage in May 1915. It was the most complete of the three salvaged from the wreck off Southern Ireland in 1982 and was purchased by the Merseyside Maritime Museum in 1989. The propeller has been displayed on the museum’s historic quaysides ever since. Each year on 7 May, the anniversary of the sinking of the ship by the German submarine U-20, a service of commemoration is held at the propeller for the 1191 victims of this incident.

There is also the Dock Horse Statue entitled “Waiting” unveiled in May 2010. The life-sized bronze statue of a shire horse has been created by sculptor Judy Boyt. This statue honours Liverpool’s hard working dock horses. The city’s faithful carters and their horses carried vital provisions from the docks to the warehouses and shops during the heyday of Liverpool’s port, and played a key role transporting goods in the petrol-rationed days of Second World War.

Tate Liverpool has a permanent collection boasting artwork from names such as Picasso, Matisse and Cezanne. It has also built a reputation for outstanding exhibitions, with its recent Chagall, Pollock and Warhol shows winning widespread critical acclaim. With a constantly changing events programme, a visit is strongly recommended.

Further along the Waterfront you come to the Wheel of Liverpool ferries wheel. Beyond that is the ACC Liverpool (Arena, Convention and Exhibition Centre) at Kings Dock. This unique complex is the only arena, convention and exhibition centre under one roof in Europe. Delivering world class concerts, family, comedy and sporting events, Echo Arena Liverpool is one of the most prestigious entertainment venues in the UK. While, BT Convention Centre is a unique award-winning conference venue that includes a 1,350 seat auditorium, dining space for a 1,800-head banquet, 18 multi-sized meeting rooms, is interconnected to the 11,000 capacity Echo Arena and an 8,100m2 Exhibition Centre. The recently opened and interconnected Pullman Hotel Liverpool further adds to the offer of this unique complex.

Outside the Echo Arena is the Peace & Harmony Monument. This is a global peace monument was gifted to the people of Europe on the occasion of John Lennon’s 70th birthday and was unveiled as part of a gala ceremony in Lennon’s birthplace of Liverpool by his eldest son Julian and first wife Cynthia. Commissioned by the Global Peace Initiative, an American arts organization dedicated to creating peace monuments around the world to promote global peace, the European Peace Monument has been created by American art prodigy Lauren Voiers in Phoenix, Arizona. It gives visitors to the city the opportunity to celebrate the life and spirit of Lennon and his message of peace.

Liverpool City Centre:

From Pier Head you can go up into the city centre via Chapel Street / Tithebarn Street, Water Street / Dale Street, and James Street / Lord Street / Church Street. The main shopping area is Liverpool ONE as well as surrounding streets such as Lord Street and Church Street. There is also the Metquarter shopping centre.

Opposite on the other side of the Strand on the corner of James Street is Albion House which is another historic building. Albion House (also known as "30 James Street" or the White Star Building) is a Grade II* listed building. It was constructed between 1896 and 1898 and is positioned on the corner of James Street and The Strand across from the Pier Head. Designed by architects Richard Norman Shaw and J. Francis Doyle, it was built for the Ismay, Imrie and Company shipping company, which later became the White Star Line. After White Star merged with Royal Mail Line the headquarters remained at Albion House until 1934. The facade is constructed from white Portland stone and red brick. In 1912, when news of the disaster of the Titanic reached the offices, the officials were too afraid to leave the building, and instead read the names of the deceased from the balcony. After many years being vacant, in 2014 the building was converted into a Titanic-themed hotel known as 30 James Street. The attic storey caretaker’s rambling flat has also been converted into Liverpool’s first rooftop champagne bar, called the Carpathia Bar and Restaurant, which overlooks The Strand waterfront and offers spectacular views of The Three Graces. It is named after the Liverpool vessel, RMS Carpathia, which rescued all 705 Titanic survivors.

Liverpool Town Hall - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Just up James Street from the waterfront is Castle Street and Derby Square with its Queen Victoria statue. Straight ahead from there are the main shopping streets of Lord Street and Church Street as well as Liverpool ONE shopping centre. But if you turn left at Derby Square and head down Castle Street at the far end you will see Liverpool Town Hall. The Liverpool Town Hall was constructed in the 1700s between 1749 and 1754 and its beautiful interiors are a prime example of late Georgian architecture. Behind the Town Hall is Exchange Flags / Derby House office building (). This is also accessible from the Waterfront via Water Street / Dale Street.

Behind Exchange Flags round the corner just off Chapel Street / Tithebarn Street is the entrance to the Western Approaches Museum in “the Citadel” or “the Fortress” located in the wartime bunker beneath this building. In 1941, Derby House, part of the Exchange Flags building, became home to Combined Operations, which was responsible for control of the Western Approaches in the Second World War. The complex was bomb proof and gas proof, with a 7-foot thick roof and 3-foot thick walls, and 100 rooms covering an area of 50,000 square feet. It became known locally as “the Citadel” or “the Fortress”. It was a top secret location and was not declassified until the 1990s.

The Royal Navy, Air Force and Royal Marines worked jointly there to monitor enemy convoys and “wolf packs” of submarines during the war. The bunker played a huge part in the victory of the Battle of the Atlantic. On 7 February 1941, Combined Operations moved to Derby House at Exchange Flags because German aircraft and U-boats were attacking ships travelling in from the continent. The department became known as Western Approaches Command as it monitored Western Approaches, the rectangular area of the Atlantic Ocean lying immediately to the west of the British Isles. Liverpool subsequently became an important strategic position in the Second World War. In WW2, Liverpool was Britain’s main convoy port and helped to maintain Britain’s relationship with the United States and Canada – a lifeline which was crucial for Britain’s survival and the ultimate Allied victory. During the course of the war, over 1,000 convoys arrived on the Mersey. Many warships and merchant ships were repaired and built on the Merseyside, and thousands of ordinary Liverpool people were involved in the war effort.

Today, the historic wartime bunker has been restored and is open to the public as a memorial to those who died to achieve it. It is the original building where the original battle was fought and won so a very unique and authentic experience. It has been reconstructed exactly how it used to be. This hidden gem is now the Western Approaches Museum. Walk through hidden rooms and discover the stories locked in the wartime bunker that protected the tactics and secrets of the British Armed Forces plotting to bulwark the Western Approaches and aid the Allied victory. Glimpse the documents and tools the forces used to monitor enemy convoys and inform the British government of their findings whilst keeping their intelligence secret from the enemy, including one of only two surviving wartime phones which had a direct connection to Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms in London. See where commanders and WRNS and WAAF personnel worked every day and night in the Map Room, the nerve centre of the Battle of the Atlantic. Here they monitored convoy routes and vital shipping lines, and pin-pointed enemy locations on a huge map laid across the table; total accuracy was necessary to enable the Royal Navy to contact and destroy the enemy. It is an absolutely amazing hidden gem and unique experience.

The Superlambanana - Source: Wikipedia (original seize)

At the top of Tithebarn Street can be seen the Superlambanana, a bright yellow sculpture which weighs almost eight tonnes, stands at 17ft tall and is intended to be a cross between a banana and a lamb. It was designed by Japanese artist Taro Chiezo. It currently stands in Tithebarn Street, outside the Liverpool John Moores University Avril Robarts Library/Learning Resource Centre. In 2008, as part of Liverpool's year-long position as European Capital of Culture, 125 individually designed miniature replicas were created as a Go Superlambanana sculpture trail. Sponsored by local community organisations and businesses in the city, the mini Superlambananas were located throughout the Liverpool City Region. Many shops across Liverpool sell models of the Superlambananas which are now a much loved character and icon.

On Water Street just up from the waterfront you will see the Oriel Chambers office building. This was one of the world's first buildings (along with the 1849 Jayne Building in Philadelphia) featuring a metal framed glass curtain wall. Designed by architect Peter Ellis and built in 1864, it is located on Water Street near the town hall in Liverpool. Oriel Chambers remains one of finest and most influential buildings of its age. One of the first office buildings to use an iron framework structure, its innovative design had a considerable influence on office buildings across the world, inspiring John Root's early Chicago skyscrapers and shaping the New York skyline we know today. Oriel Chambers was named as one of Britain's fifty most inspiring buildings alongside Lloyds of London, Clifton Suspension Bride, Stonehenge and Hadrian's Wall in the Telegraph, Saturday 29th November 2008.

Also on Water Street is the magnificent India Buildings. India Buildings is a commercial building with its principal entrance in Water Street. Mainly an office building, it also contains an internal shopping arcade and the entrance to an underground station. It was built between 1924 and 1932, damaged by a bomb in 1941, and later restored to its original condition under the supervision of one of its original architects. The building, its design influenced by the Italian Renaissance and incorporating features of the American Beaux-Arts style, occupies an entire block in the city. India Buildings was built between 1924 and 1932. The competition for its design was won in 1923 by Arnold Thornely and Herbert J. Rowse, the assessor being Giles Gilbert Scott. It was built as a speculative venture by the shipping firm of Richard Durning Holt and Alfred Holt and Company (the Blue Funnel Line) partly for its own use, and partly for letting offices to other businesses. Blue Funnel was famous for their shipping services from Liverpool to China. 

Liverpool ONE shopping area - courtesy Visit Liverpool

At the top of Water Street next to the Town Hall is the former Martin’s Bank Building. This is currently being redeveloped into The Principal Liverpool 5-star hotel by the Principal Hotel Group and is due to open in 2019.

The Cavern Quarter:

The Cavern Quarter, as the name suggests, encircles Mathew Street, the home of the world-famous Cavern Club, along with a range of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes, and the highly popular and successful annual summer music event, International Beatle Week. Another famous venue is Eric’s  - this 800 person venue in a basement close to the Cavern Club, was opened in 1976 and played host to the emerging punk and post-punk acts of the time. Local acts such as Echo and the Bunneymen, Elvis Costello and Teardrop Explodes made their name alongside nationally and internationally significant acts such as Iggy Pop, The Clash, Joy Division and Simple Minds. The club, which originally closed in 1980, was the subject of both a musical and a book, and reopened as a live music venue in 2011. The Grapes pub on Roscoe Street is also worth visiting. The pub is where the ‘Merseybeat’ acts of the 60s visited after playing the nearby Cavern and a favourite stop for The Beatles. It was here that Pete Best went to drown his sorrows when informed he had been sacked from The Beatles. Today the pub makes the most of its connections to The Beatles by proudly displaying a photo of the band at their favourite table, while the wallpaper has been peeled back to reveal its 60s splendour. Mathew Street is a vibrant focal point in The Beatles history and the cities nightlife scene. It is home to the musical ‘wall of fame’ and a tribute statue of John Lennon that is now the focus of many worldwide visitor selfies.

The Liverpool Wall of Fame is located on the famous Mathew Street, within Liverpool's Cavern Quarter. The Wall features 54 Liverpool based musician Number 1 UK chart hits since 1952. It was unveiled in 2001, by Lita Roza the artist of the song "How Much is That Doggie in the Window?" - The first Liverpool-based artist number 1 hit. The wall is dominated by The Beatles who regularly played at the original Cavern Club, located on Mathew Street.

A statue of singer/songwriter John Lennon casually leaning against the wall can be found outside the Cavern Club on Mathew Street. The spot is popular with tourists who often pose with the statue for photos and selfies. A bronze statue of Eleanor Rigby was created by musician and artist, Tommy Steele, in 1981 to commemorate the rock ‘n’ roll band. Eleanor Rigby can be found sitting alone on a stone bench on Stanley Street alongside a plaque dedicated to ‘All the Lonely People’.

In January 2017 a statue honouring the entertainer and singer, Cilla Black, will be unveiled on Mathew Street outside the old entrance to the Cavern Club. She worked as a cloakroom attendant at the club before eventually finding fame. The statue portrays her with arms outstretched in a timeless pose that encapsulates the essence of Cilla as a singer, as a host, as an entertainer and as someone welcoming people to the city where it all started for her.

Nearby is the Fab Four’s themed hotel, Hard Day’s Night Hotel, in fact it is the world’s only Beatles inspired hotel. The grade II listed building has retained all the character of its original form with the added sophisticated influence of The Beatles.

The St George’s Quarter:

Liverpool St George's Hall, interior - courtesy Visit Liverpool

A must-visit for lovers of culture, Liverpool’s St George’s Quarter boasts some of the finest Victorian architecture in Britain. Just outside Liverpool Lime Street station, step into the culture as soon as you arrive. It houses the magnificent St George’s Hall, a beautiful example of neo-classical architecture that welcomed the iconic Poppies: Weeping Window sculpture in 2015. Liverpool’s St George’s Hall, is Grade 1 listed and was opened in 1854. This magnificent building is widely acknowledged as one of the finest neoclassical buildings in the world, with its magnificent 720sqm Great Hall gilded with chandeliers, stained glass windows, barrel vaulted ceiling and famous Willis organ.

Together with the World Museum, Walker Art Gallery andCentral Library, William Brown Street is an entire street featuring ONLY cultural attractions in magnificent buildings, all of which are completely free to enter.

The World Museum Liverpool has extensive collections covering archaeology, ethnology and the natural and physical sciences. Special attractions include the Natural History Centre and a planetarium. The museum has recently undergone major refurbishment and expansion in order to double the size of the display spaces, making even more of the collections accessible for visitors. Major new galleries include World Cultures, the Bug House and the Weston Discovery Centre.

One of the finest art galleries in Europe, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool is home to renaissance masterpieces, Tudor portraits and one of the best collections of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite art in the country. For 130 years it has housed Liverpool’s most outstanding art collection. Many of the gallery’s most important works have been on display in the city for nearly 200 years. The gallery also has an outstanding display of contemporary art including work by David Hockney, Lucian Freud and Bridget Riley.

There are no than three theatres less than a 5 minute walk from each other including the Liverpool Empire on Lime Street which has the largest two-tier auditorium in Britain and hosts a variety of entertainment including variety shows, musicals, operas and pop concerts. The Empire often stages travelling West End productions, as does the Royal Court Theatre nearby. The Playhouse Theatre is just a short walk away situated closer to the town centre in Williamson Square, close to the retail heart of the city.

Liverpool Lime Street railway station is the main rail station for Liverpool and is located opposite St George’s Hall. The station has two magnificent train shed roofs and is fronted by a large building in the style of a French château, the former North Western Hotel. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, the building was built in 1879 at the same time as the second train shed and is now accommodation for students of Liverpool John Moores University. The main concourse features a pair of statues of Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock, a work entitled "Chance Meeting" by sculptor Tom Murphy, unveiled by Ken Dodd in June 2009. Also in August 2014 the Earl of Wessex officially unveiled a new memorial to the Liverpool Pals at Lime Street Station. The £85,000 memorial, made up of two large bronze friezes telling the story of the Pals’ enlistment at the start of World War I and the battalions’ service on the fields of Flanders, was sculpted by Liverpool artist Tom Murphy. It is located just above the subway entrance that leads down to the Merseyrail low level station.

The Adelphi Hotel is one of Liverpool’s famous historic grand hotels. It was built by the Midland Railway between 1911 and 1914 designed by Frank Atkinson. When opened, it was "regarded as the most luxurious hotel outside London". Guests at the hotel have included world leaders, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Artistes appearing at the Empire Theatre, including Frank Sinatra, Laurel and Hardy, Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger have also stayed at the hotel. Trigger did not stay in the Hotel; he actually stayed at the Lord Mayors stables at Smithdown Lane, approximately 1 mile from the hotel, but did make an appearance over the main entrance with Roy Rogers. Today the hotel is a shadow of its former glory and is run by Britannia Hotels. It is mainly frequented by coach tour groups and has a changeable reputation these days.

Due to Liverpool being a major arrival and departure point for ocean liners during the early 20th century, the Adelphi served as the most popular hotel in the city for wealthy passengers before they embarked on their journey to North America.

In the TV series Downton Abbey scenes had been located (story line) and filmed.

Ropewalks:

The bohemian heart of Liverpool. RopeWalks is always bursting with art, music and culture. Home to the quirky Bold Street, lined with an eclectic mix of independent stores, coffee houses and restaurants, as well as a variety of cultural institutions including FACT, the Grade I listed Bluecoat Liverpool () and St Luke’s Church, known locally as ‘The Bombed Out Church’. On Duke Street there are a number of good restaurants but one pub worth visiting is “The Monro” at 92 Duke Street. The Monro is named after the 3-masted sailing packet "The James Monro" which was part of the famous Black Ball Line formed in 1817. The Monro was in turn named after the then US President, James Monro(e). The James Monro packet ship was the first regular scheduled transatlantic ship service between Liverpool and New York carrying various non bulk cargoes like apples and hops and indeed passengers to the New World. The Monro stayed in service until 1850. The Ropewalks area is named after its unique large 19th century warehouse buildings, once used for rope making during Liverpool’s maritime boom, and now home to a bustling community at the centre of Liverpool’s independent scene. Today it has also increasingly become the centre for Liverpool's night-time economy and creative industries.

Baltic Triangle:

The Baltic Triangle is probably one of the most exciting and fast growing areas of Liverpool; once the well-worn factory and workshop of the city back in the slave trade of the 1800s, now a thriving and cutting-edge destination that is at the heart of the Independent Liverpool scene and is home to a number of digital and creative businesses. Unlike other cultural quarters of Liverpool, the Baltic is not polished and prepared, it’s raw, it’s organic and it’s exciting. On the Strand just after the Hilton Hotel Liverpool and Liverpool ONE bus station in the Baltic Triangle opposite Wapping Dock is the famous Baltic Fleet pub. This unique pub dating from the mid 1800's is a traditional pub in the heart of Liverpool. The name Baltic Fleet could have come from the area's links with the Baltic trade throughout the 18th & 19th centuries; it might also be linked to the British naval fleet that sailed to Kronstadt during the Crimea Campaign to blockade the Russian Baltic Fleet.

The Baltic Triangle is an historic city central area, which is enjoying a steady renaissance making it one of ‘the’ places to set up shop and hang out. Just a stone’s throw from Albert Dock - the city’s World Heritage Site - and shopping hot-spot Liverpool ONE, the Baltic Triangle has been reclaimed and resurrected by a growing colony of creative people, entrepreneurs and their combined businesses.

Chinatown:

Liverpool, China Town - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Liverpool’s Chinatown was the first to be established in Europe and is easily recognised by the beautifully crafted Chinese Arch that adorns the entry. The arch was imported piece by piece from Shanghai, a city which Liverpool is twinned with. There are 200 dragons on the wooden and marble structure with a mixture of stunning gold, red, green and the Chinese Royal colour of yellow. The ceremonial arch stands at 13.5 metres tall and is the largest in Europe; in fact it is the tallest standing arch in any Chinatown outside of mainland China. The area is home to many Chinese restaurants. Today, there are around 10,000 Chinese residents living in Liverpool and its surrounding areas. This includes the ever increasing overseas Chinese students from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and other parts of Southeast Asia. Every February thousands of revellers descend on Liverpool’s Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New Year in style. The “New China Town” regeneration project aims to enhance and expand the area. One of the great trading cities of the world, Liverpool was a melting pot and a meeting place for nations and peoples. The Chinese impact on Liverpool’s history, commerce and culture has been immense. Chinese New Year is one of Liverpool’s great events, bringing all the city’s citizens together to celebrate the contribution of one of its oldest and proudest communities.

The Georgian Quarter:

Hope Street lies at the core of the Georgian Quarter and is a winner in the Academy of Urbanism Awards for ‘Best Street’. The streets that radiate from Hope Street and Rodney Street are all lined with beautiful terraced houses. This area is also home to some of Liverpool’s finest restaurants, The Art School, 60 Hope Street and London Carriage Works – experts in modern cuisine.  There’s also a number of cozy neighbourhood bistros, including The Quarter on Faulkner Street and the Pen Factory at the other end of Hope Street.

One street, two cathedrals; Hope Street is bookended by Liverpool’s two cathedrals. The 1960s silhouette of the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King at one end and Liverpool Anglican Cathedral at the other which is the world’s second largest Anglican Cathedral. ‘The Great Space’ is the new and wholly appropriate name for the city’s towering sandstone Anglican Cathedral, which dominates the city skyline for miles around. The architectural masterpiece features the highest and heaviest carillon of bells in the world and Britain’s mightiest organ. Words cannot do it justice, it has to be seen to be believed. If you’re not afraid of heights, take the tower tour and be treated to one of the best views of Liverpool.

Liverpool Philharmonic, British ART DECO - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Between these two architectural wonders lies one of a different kind, the Everyman Theatre (RIBA Stirling Prize- winning), along with the Unity Theatre and recently transformed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, now 175 years old home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Within the Georgian Quarter is where you’ll also find the Sir Paul McCartney-inspired Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). The renowned 4-star Hope Street Hotel is also located here. A notable pub to visit on Hope Street is the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, known as “The Phil”, which is the most richly decorated of Liverpool's Victorian public houses. It takes its name from Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall opposite. Commissioned between 1898 and 1900, it is a showpiece in the style of a gentlemen's club. With the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Choir and Society so close, it have long been a favourite with concert-goers and performers alike.

Liverpool Everyman Theatre - courtesy Visit Liverpool

The Williamson Tunnels are a labyrinth of tunnels in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool, England, which were built under the direction of the eccentric businessman Joseph Williamson between 1810 and 1840. The tunnels are in an area to the east of the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral in a rectangle bordered by Mason Street, Grinfield Street, Smithdown Lane and Paddington. In autumn 2002, after much excavation, removal of rubble and renovation, one of the three sections of the site, the Stable Yard section, was opened to the public as the Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre under the trusteeship of the Joseph Williamson Society. There is also a support group called the Friends of the Williamson Tunnels.

The Victoria Building of the University of Liverpool is on the corner of Brownlow Hill and Ashton Street. It was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1892. It was the first purpose-built building for what was to become the University of Liverpool, with accommodation for administration, teaching, common rooms and a library. The building was the inspiration for the term "red brick university" which was coined by Professor Edgar Allison Peers. In 2008 it was converted into the Victoria Gallery & Museum.

Top 10 “Must See Sights” of Liverpool:

There are many sights in Liverpool but in this section we outline some of the sights and attractions that no visit to Liverpool would be complete without going to visit:

·         TAKE A TRIP ON THE MERSEY FERRIES

Mersey Ferries Snowdrop dazzle ship - courtesy Visit Liverpool / Mersey Ferries

See Liverpool’s most iconic sights aboard the world-famous Mersey Ferry. The 50 minute River Explorer Cruise takes in the best views along the riverside. One of the Mersey Ferries ‘Snowdrop’ is the country’s only operating Dazzle Ferry. The project commissioned by Liverpool Biennial, 14-18 NOW and Tate Liverpool, has been designed by famous pop-artist Sir Peter Blake in commemoration of World War One. There’s an on-board exhibition on the Dazzle Ferry too explaining more about the role Mersey Ferries played in WW1 and the history of dazzle ships.

U-Boat Story U534 Mersey Ferries Woodside Ferry terminal - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Why not stop off at Seacombe Ferry Terminal for Spaceport space exhibition or at Woodside Ferry Terminal for the U-BoatStory and the HOME Café.

·         TAKE A SELFIE WITH THE BEATLES STATUE AT PIER HEAD

In front of the Three Graces at Pier Head is the Beatles statue which is an iconic statue of the Fab Four, in their hometown. The Beatles Statue arrived on Liverpool's Waterfront in December 2015. Donated by the famous Cavern Club, the placement of the statue coincides with the 50 year anniversary of the band's last gig played in Liverpool, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. It's the city's most popular selfie spot! If you look at the window of the HMV shop in Liverpool ONE you will see its inspiration.

·         VISIT THE BEATLES STORY

The Beatles Story at Albert Dock and Pier Head is the world's largest permanent exhibition purely devoted to the lives and times of The Beatles. Located in the Fab Four’s hometown of Liverpool, the Beatles Story takes visitors on an atmospheric journey through the lives, times, culture and music of The Beatles.

·         EXPLORE THE ALBERT DOCK

The Albert Dock is home to a number of museums including the Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Tate Liverpool and the Beatles Story. The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick. It was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood. As a result, it was the first non-combustible warehouse system in the world. At the time of its construction the Albert Dock was considered a revolutionary docking system because ships were loaded and unloaded directly from/to the warehouses. Two years after it opened it was modified to feature the world's first hydraulic cranes. Today the magnificent Albert Dock in Liverpool has the UK’s largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings and is also the most visited multi-use attraction in the United Kingdom outside London, with in excess of four million visitors per year.

·         VISIT ST. GEORGE’S HALL

The magnificent St George’s Hall is a beautiful example of neo-classical architecture that welcomed the iconic Poppies: Weeping Window sculpture in 2015. Liverpool’s St George’s Hall, is Grade 1 listed and was opened in 1854. This magnificent building is widely acknowledged as one of the finest neoclassical buildings in the world, with its magnificent 720sqm Great Hall gilded with chandeliers, stained glass windows, barrel vaulted ceiling and famous Willis organ.

·         VISIT THE WESTERN APPROACHES MUSEUM

The War Room - courtesy Visit Liverpool / Mersey Ferries

The Western Approaches Museum located in the wartime bunker beneath the Derby House / Exchange Flags Building behind the Town Hall. In 1941, Derby House, part of the Exchange Flags building, became home to Combined Operations, which was responsible for control of the Western Approaches in the Second World War. The complex was bomb proof and gas proof, with a 7-foot thick roof and 3-foot thick walls, and 100 rooms covering an area of 50,000 square feet. It became known locally as “the Citadel” or “the Fortress” and was vital in the Battle of the Atlantic. It was a top secret location and was not declassified until the 1990s. Liverpool was important strategic position in the Second World War and was Britain’s main convoy port and helped to maintain Britain’s relationship with the United States and Canada – a lifeline which was crucial for Britain’s survival and the ultimate Allied victory.

Today, the historic wartime bunker has been restored and is open to the public as a memorial to those who died to achieve it. Walk through hidden rooms and discover the stories locked in the wartime bunker that protected the tactics and secrets of the British Armed Forces plotting tactics during the Battle of the Atlantic. Glimpse the documents and tools the forces used to monitor enemy convoys and inform the British government of their findings whilst keeping their intelligence secret from the enemy, including one of only two surviving wartime phones which had a direct connection to Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms in London. See where commanders and WRNS and WAAF personnel worked every day and night in the Map Room, the nerve centre of the Battle of the Atlantic. It is the original building where the original battle was fought and won so a very unique and authentic experience.

·         VISIT THE LIVERPOOL ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral - courtesy Visit Liverpool

The Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is the world’s second largest Anglican cathedral, the fifth largest cathedral in the world and the largest cathedral in the UK. This towering sandstone building dominates the city skyline for miles around. The architectural masterpiece features the highest and heaviest carillon of bells in the world and Britain’s mightiest organ (designed by local company Henry Willis & Sons). It is the largest the largest pipe organ in the UK - an instrument of tremendous power and majesty, but also of serenity and calm. Words cannot do it justice; it has to be seen to be believed. Discover the story of this great cathedral from the very early days of its origins and starting to build just after the turn of the 20th Century, through to its completion in 1978. If you’re not afraid of heights, take the tower tour and be treated to one of the best views of Liverpool.

·         VISIT THE MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL AND ITS WINDOW WITH A VIEW

The Museum of Liverpool is the largest newly-built national museum in the UK for more than 100 years. Inside, the museum explores how the port and its people have shaped the city’s story. You can climb aboard an original full-size Liverpool Overhead Railway carriage; sing a city hit on the karaoke, or experience life in an 1870 Liverpool house. The famous steam locomotive, Lion, dating from 1837 and which starred in the Titfield Thunderbolt film can also be seen on display at the museum on the ground floor. In September 2016 the Museum of Liverpool won “the My Glazing.com‘s Window with a View” award! The view from the Museum of Liverpool is much-loved by local people, as well as visitors from across the UK and around the globe. The window is an incredible vantage point. It takes in the Three Graces on Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, but it also looks out across the River Mersey and towards the Irish Sea. The view encompasses so much of what makes Liverpool unique, from its heritage and architecture to its people and geography.

·         EXPLORE THE CAVERN QUARTER

Cavern Club - Source: Wikipedia (original seize)

The Cavern Quarter, as the name suggests, encircles Mathew Street, the home of the world-famous Cavern Club, along with a range of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes, and the highly popular and successful annual summer music event, International Beatle Week. The Grapes pub is worth visiting too and another famous venue is Eric’s. Mathew Street is a vibrant focal point in The Beatles history and the cities nightlife scene. It is home to the musical ‘wall of fame’ and a tribute statue of John Lennon that is now the focus of many worldwide visitor selfies. In 2017 a statue of Cilla Black will be added to its many attractions.

·         VISIT THE INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM 

The International Slavery Museum opened in August 2007 and is the only museum of its kind to look at aspects of historical and contemporary slavery as well as being an international hub for resources on human rights issues. The transatlantic slave trade was the greatest forced migration in history. And yet the story of the mass enslavement of Africans by Europeans is one of resilience and survival against all the odds, and is a testament to the unquenchable nature of the human spirit. It addresses ignorance and misunderstanding by looking at the deep and permanent impact of slavery and the slave trade on Africa, South America, the USA, the Caribbean and Western Europe. The International Slavery Museum highlights the international importance of slavery, both in a historic and contemporary context. Working in partnership with other museums with a focus on freedom and enslavement, the museum provides opportunities for greater awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery today. It is located in Liverpool's Albert Dock, at the centre of a World Heritage site and only yards away from the dry docks where 18th century slave trading ships were repaired and fitted out.

Liverpool Seaside, beach - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Exploring Further Afield:

Beyond Liverpool there are many sights nearby to explore as well. In South Liverpool there is Sudley House in Mossley Hill. Sudley House is a historic house in Aigburth. Built in 1824 and much modified in the 1880s, it is now a museum and art gallery which contains the collection of George Holt, a shipping-line owner (Blue Funnel Line) and former resident, in its original setting. It includes work by Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, Edwin Landseer, John Everett Millais and J. M. W. Turner.

There is also the Festival Gardens Liverpool which is beautiful parkland on the site of The International Garden Festival that took place between May and October 1984 and attracted 3.8 million visitors.

Speke Hall - courtesy Visit Liverpool

Also there is the art deco former airport terminal building in Speke opposite the New Mersey Retail Park which is now home to the Crowne Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport hotel. Near Liverpool John Lennon Airport is Speke Hall. This timber framed house is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind. Walks in the grounds give panoramic views over the Mersey towards the Wirral Peninsula.

In Halewood there is the car plant of Jaguar Land Rover. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturing business, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel drive vehicles and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques. In 2002 Jaguar Land Rover had been created as a business unit within the Ford Motor Company. In 2008 JLR was sold by Ford to Tata Motors (part of India's world renowned Tata Group), and as part of this they also acquired the rights to three dormant car brands (Daimler, Lanchester and Rover).

The Halewood car plant opened in 1963 and today is where the Evoque and Discovery Sport models are produced for the Land Rover brand of JLR. The Halewood car plant is also home to a dedicated dirt track test circuit facility and the Land Rover Experience visitor centre which is a showcase for the latest vehicles from Land Rover, offering multi terrain courses and in depth factory tours hosted by a team of dedicated experts. The Land Rover Experience was established in 1990 and is a network of visitor centres across the world showcasing the Land Rover brand and models. The Halewood "Land Rover Experience" visitor centre opened in 2006 and is one of 10 such visitor centres in the UK

To the east in Knowsley you can visit the National Wildflower Centre. You can visit Knowsley Safari Park in the grounds of Knowsley Hall, is the ancestral home of the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The Stanley family for centuries were one of the most influential aristocratic families in England. Thomas Stanley was rewarded with the title of Earl Derby in 1485 by King Henry VII as a reward for his support at the Battle of Bosworth Field which led to Henry's gaining the crown after the defeat of King Richard III (of the Princes in the Tower fame and now buried at Leicester Cathedral). Edward, the twelfth Earl had a great interest in horseracing and founded the Derby and the Oaks horseraces. He created the State Dining Room for the visit of George IV in 1820–21. In the grounds of Knowsley he maintained a menagerie which contained 94 different species of mammals and 318 species of birds, many of which were rare and valuable. Edward, the 14th Earl was a politician who became Prime Minister three times. He was responsible for steering the Slavery Abolition Act through Parliament and in his third administration the Second Reform Bill was passed. The political tradition was maintained by Frederick, the 16th Earl who became President of the Board of Trade and later was appointed Governor General of Canada. While in Canada he presented the Stanley Cup, the country's premier trophy for ice hockey.

In Prescot in Knowsley there are plans to develop a Shakespeare North  theatre and learning centre. Shakespeare North wants to celebrate the Elizabethan heritage of Knowsley near Liverpool and aims to bring Shakespearean theatre back to the area that has an important and often neglected place in the history of Elizabethan drama. The Prescot and Knowsley story is the prequel to the story of Shakespeare in London. In the market town of Prescot, the first Elizabethan indoor theatre in Britain outside London was built. This structure, a hugely significant development in the evolution of drama, was simply called The Playhouse. The support and patronage of the Earls of Derby at Knowsley Hall also played a notable part in the development of Shakespearean drama. The Playhouse will be built to designs drawn in 1629 by Inigo Jones, the greatest English architect and theatre designer of his day. The revived Playhouse will be unique – the only replica of this indoor Jacobean Court Theatre in the world. Shakespeare North will draw theatre-goers from all over Britain and the world and will complete a Shakespeare triangle: Stratford upon Avon, London, and the North West.

Further east there is St Helens, once a major centre for coal mining and glass making. This town is easily accessing by local train services on the railway line from Lime Street station to St Helens Central rail station. Glass producer Pilkington is the town's one remaining large industrial employer. Between 1953 and 1957, (Sir) Alastair Pilkington and Kenneth Bickerstaff invented the Float Glass Process, a revolutionary method of high quality flat glass production by floating molten glass over a bath of molten tin, avoiding the costly need to grind and polish plate glass to make it clear. This enabled glass to pioneer the development of glass covered buildings such as skyscrapers. St Helens is home to the Pilkington World of Glass Museum and The North West Museum of Road Transport is another museum located in the town. The collection of vehicles at this museum includes many examples of buses from local municipal bus companies, including St Helens, Liverpool, Southport, Widnes, Warrington and Chester, as well as vehicles from the former Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive. Whilst the majority of vehicles on display are buses, there are also classic cars, trucks and fire engines.

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened in 1830. It passed through the southern edge of the town at Rainhill and St Helens Junction, and furthered its economic development as a centre of industry. Rainhill has an important place in railway history, as the location of the Rainhill Trials where the proposed designs of locomotive for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway were tested in competition. Rainhill is one of the oldest stations in the world opening in 1830. George Stephenson designed and had constructed the skew arch bridge across the railway for the opening of the station. The bridge was the first skew to ever cross a railway and is now a listed building.

A 20m tall sculpture, called Dream, has been erected on a former colliery in Sutton Manor in St Helens. This is now at the heart of Bold Forest Park.

In Halton, in Runcorn you can visit the historic Norton Priory. This is the most excavated monastic site in Europe. Its brand new £4.5m museum tells its 900 year story, displaying hundreds of medieval and later period objects discovered during the extensive archaeological digs. Visitors can explore the medieval undercroft and priory ruins or venture further into the surrounding woodland to discover secret summer houses and stream glades.  Also at Norton Priory is the stunning 18th century Walled Garden which offers orchards, a fruit garden and a beautiful rose walk, surrounded by woodland and a wildflower meadow. The gardens are open all year around. They also manage Halton Castle.

To the north of Liverpool lies the Sefton Coast that runs up through Crosby, Formby, Ainsdale to the seaside resort of Southport. The Merseyrail Electrics “Northern Line” runs up the spine of the Sefton Coast from Liverpool City Centre (Liverpool Central and Moorfields rail stations) to Southport. The Sefton Coast includes Crosby beach which is also the site of an art installation by Antony Gormley, called Another Place. The work consists of cast iron figures which face out to sea, spread over a 2 mile (3.2 km) stretch of the beach between Waterloo and Blundellsands. Each figure is 189 cm tall (nearly 6 feet 2½ inches) and weighs around 650 kg (over 1400 lb).

Also near Crosby is the Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre is a £10 million centre offering a variety of water sports, activities for young & old alike, a fitness suite and fitness classes, premier conference & meeting suites plus the fantastic Lakeside Bistro & Bar.

Further north is the National Trust site of Formby Point – home of the Red Squirrel containing pinewoods and sand dunes. The whole of the coastline here is managed as a Special Area of Conservation(SAC) for its important wildlife reserves by Sefton Coast Partnership. The pine woods at Victoria Road have been established as a National Trust reserve for the red squirrel, listed on the endangered species list. Formby is one of several sites in Britain where the red squirrel can still be found although it is now being threatened by the grey squirrel. The coast is also famous for the presence of Natterjack toads in Formby. Formby is only one of a few sites in England where they will breed. Later in the evening the male's distinctive song can be heard and is known locally as the 'Bootle Organ'. In spring the males gather at the edge of shallow pools in the dune slacks and sing to attract a mate.

At the end of the Sefton Coast is the seaside resort of Southport. Town attractions include Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street, once home of Napoleon III of France. Southport today is still one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK. It hosts various events, including an annual air show on and over the beach, and the Southport Flower Show (largest independent flower show in the UK), in Victoria Park. It is also host to the regular Southport Air Show. The town is at the centre of England's Golf Coast and has hosted the Open Championship at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club. Royal Birkdale will host the Open Championship again in 2017.

The Merseyrail Electrics Northern Line also goes to Ormskirk. North of Ormskirk near Burscough located 6 miles from Ormskirk and 10 miles from Southport is located the renowned Martin Mere wetland centre andnature reserve. Thousands of pink footed geese and hundreds of whooper swans shelter here every winter. They seasonally flood their ‘duck marshes’ to provide homes for nationally important populations of duck and wading birds. It’s also important for wildflowers – they’re creating large areas of whorled caraway, a western Britain specialist. Look out for water shrew, water vole, brown hare and a range of bat species who feed on the vibrant moth population.

West from Liverpool across the River Mersey is the Wirral Peninsula. This is easy to access from Liverpool by the Mersey Ferries (with ferry terminals at Woodside and Seacombe), Merseyrail Electrics’ Wirral Line and local bus services.

Set between the rivers Dee and Mersey, and with spectacular views of the Liverpool waterfront and North Wales, Wirral is a peninsula blessed with stunning natural splendour and a rich heritage. From refined golf courses to wild and un-spoilt coastline, it is a uniquely charming area with plenty for the visitor to discover. At Woodside Ferry Terminal there is the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway that runs a short distance to its Taylor Street depot and museum. The tramway is home to the historic Liverpool Baby Grand Tram (Tram 245) which has won 'Tram of the Year' after its restoration and is the last surviving tram of its type in the UK. Birkenhead was a pioneering industrial town it was the first place in Europe to adopt a street tramway but those trams ceased operating in 1937.

Birkenhead Park was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton and is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain. The concept was to create an idealised countryside landscape of open meadows, naturalistic woodland belts and beautiful lakes, which are shaped to appear as sinuous rivers with views across to features such as the Boathouse and Swiss Bridge. It is thought that his design was the model for many parks around the world, including Central Park, New York.

Near the Cammell Laird shipyard is the hidden gem of Birkenhead Priory. The oldest standing building on Merseyside, Birkenhead Priory encapsulates so much of the town's history within a small, enclosed site. Founded in 1150, the monks of this Benedictine monastery looked after travellers for nearly 400 years and supervised the first regulated 'Ferry 'cross the Mersey'. From the tower you get fantastic view across the Cammell Laird shipyard next door as well as the River Mersey and Liverpool. The tower is now dedicated as a memorial to those lost in the 1939 disaster aboard the Laird's built submarine Thetis. The chapter house is consecrated as an Anglican church and there is a chapel dedicated to the training ship HMS Conway.

Port Sunlight Museum & Garden Village, 'Wirral Attraction of the Year' 2016 & 2015 and 'Small Visitor Attraction of the Year' at the 2015 and 2014 Liverpool city Region Tourism Awards, is a unique and beautiful 19th century garden village created solely for the Sunlight Soap factory workers. The village's creator, 'Soap King' William Hesketh Lever (Lord Leverhulme) had a vision for the village and its residents. Port Sunlight Village is a fascinating place to be, with a world renowned art gallery displaying one of the most beautiful collections of fine and decorative arts in the UK, the village church, 'Christchurch', with a peal of eight bells, is also the place were both Lord and Lady Lever are buried in the church grounds. Today Port Sunlight is still home to the Unilever factory. It is also home to the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Founded and built by Edwardian philanthropist Lord Leverhulme, the Lady Lever Art Gallery is set in the picturesque village of Port Sunlight. Inside, visitors will discover one of the most beautiful collections of fine and decorative art in the UK, including many world famous Pre-Raphaelite artworks alongside beautiful Chinese ceramics and Wedgwood jasperware. While there why not stay at the Leverhulme Hotel which is the former home of Lord Leverhulme. Nearby is the Port Sunlight River Park  is a 30 hectare green space, park and wetland reclaimed from a former landfill site with a 37m high hill offering unrivalled views across the Mersey, Wirral and North Wales.

It is a stunning green space turning what was once a closed area into a public park with nearly 3 miles of footpaths to enjoy. The site borders the former Bromborough dock with historic connections to Port Sunlight village and Lever’s factory; and the operational Mersey Wharf. The park was completed and opened in 2014 when the Land Trust appointed Wirral Autistic Society, now known as Autism Together, as the managing agent. The Land Trust ensures the site is managed for the benefit of communities and wildlife as well as to attract visitors. Visitors can look at the magnificent views; watch ships on Mersey and at the dock, go bird watching, enjoy the sculptures, picnic, use the cycle hub, cycle and take part in the geocache trail.

At Neston across the Wirral is Ness Botanic Gardens (University of Liverpool). The award-winning superb gardens at Ness are situated on the Wirral Peninsula overlooking the Dee Estuary were founded in 1898 by Arthur Kilpin Bulley, a Liverpool cotton merchant with a passion for gardens and for plant collecting. The gardens were donated to The University of Liverpool in 1948 by Lois Bulley, the daughter of the founder. Ness Botanic Gardens, winner of the 'Sustainable Tourism Award' at the 2014 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards, covers some 64 acres, houses a living collection of 15,000 plants many of which were early introductions from China, the Himalayas, Tibet and Burma. Ness is open all year round with seasonal flowers, shrubs and trees, in particular Rhododendrons, Azaleas, a beautiful rock garden, enchanting Laburnum arch and spectacular herbaceous border. It also has beautiful views across the Dee to North Wales.

Stretch across the southern end of the Wirral Peninsula from West Kirby to Hooton lies the Wirral Country Park. Wirral Country Park is a place of contrasts. Badgers and Foxes hunt the quieter parts, birds nest in the dense hedges or feed on the berries in winter, and you may see up to 10 kinds of butterfly in summer. Head for the 60 feet high, boulder-clay cliffs and look out over the Dee Estuary and you'll smell the tang of mud and salt, feel the sea breeze and get a sense of space quite unlike the enclosed, inland Wirral Way. For over 70 years, from the height of the Victorian era onwards, a busy railway linked Hooton, on the main Chester-to-Birkenhead line, to West Kirby. But in 1962 the line was closed. For a while the track lay derelict. But in 1973, backed by money from the Countryside Commission, and after a great deal of work, the old railway line was opened as Wirral Country Park. It was the first Country Park in Britain.

From Liverpool it is also easy to access via the Merseyrail Electrics “Wirral Line” the historic city of Chester. Chester is a walled city in Cheshire on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales.

Chester was founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the reign of the Emperor Vespasian in 79 AD. One of the main army camps in Roman Britain, Deva later became a major civilian settlement. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and the Saxons extended and strengthened the walls to protect the city against the Danes. Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border.

Chester is one of the best preserved walled cities in Britain. It has a number of medieval buildings, but some of the black-and-white buildings within the city centre are Victorian restorations. Apart from a 100-metre (330 ft) section, the listed Grade I walls are almost complete. The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development. In 2016 the council unveiled massive plans to regenerate the Chester Northgate quarter of the city around the Town Hall.

A considerable amount of land in Chester is owned by His Grace The Duke of Westminster who owns an estate, Eaton Hall, near the village of Eccleston. He also has London properties in Mayfair and Belgravia. Grosvenor is the Duke's family name, which explains such features in the city as the Grosvenor Bridge, the Chester Grosvenor Hotel, and Grosvenor Park. Much of Chester's architecture dates from the Victorian era, many of the buildings being modelled on the Jacobean half-timbered style and designed by John Douglas, who was employed by the Duke as his principal architect. The Duke also owns Grosvenor Group. Grosvenor is also the owner of the Liverpool ONE shopping area in Liverpool.

The more unusual landmarks in the city are the city walls, the Rows and the black-and-white architecture. The Chester City Walls encircle the bounds of the medieval city and constitute the most complete city walls in Britain, the full circuit measuring nearly 2 miles (3 km). The only break in the circuit is in the southwest section in front of County Hall. A footpath runs along the top of the walls, crossing roads by bridges over Eastgate, Northgate, St Martin's Gate, Watergate, Bridgegate, Newgate, and the Wolf Gate, and passing a series of structures, namely Phoenix Tower (or King Charles' Tower), Morgan's Mount, the Goblin Tower (or Pemberton's Parlour), and Bonewaldesthorne's Tower with a spur leading to the Water Tower, and Thimbleby's Tower. On Eastgate is Eastgate Clock which is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben.

The Rows are unique in Britain. They consist of buildings with shops or dwellings on the lowest two storeys. The shops or dwellings on the ground floor are often lower than the street and are entered by steps, which sometimes lead to a crypt-like vault. Those on the first floor are entered behind a continuous walkway, often with a sloping shelf between the walkway and the railings overlooking the street.

Notable attractions in the city centre include Chester Town Hall, Chester Cathedral and Chester History & Heritage. The major museum in Chester is the Grosvenor Museum which includes a collection of Roman tombstones and an art gallery. Associated with the museum is 20 Castle Street in which rooms are furnished in different historical styles. The Dewa Roman Experience has hands-on exhibits and a reconstructed Roman street. One of the blocks in the forecourt of Chester Castle houses the Cheshire Military Museum.

The Chester Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) was founded in 1884 and is one of the premier non-professional orchestras in North West England. Formerly the Chester Orchestral Society they perform music from a wide repertoire. The Orchestra is a registered charity and usually perform four or five concerts, under the direction of well known professional conductors, each year (including an annual carol concert), which take place in the magnificent setting of Chester's ancient Cathedral.

Near Chester towards Ellesmere Port is the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Mall. Located off Junction 10 of the M53, it is the UK's largest outlet centre, with 145 stores and was the first designer outlet village in Europe when it opened in 1995. It is run by McArthurGlen and features a wide range of outlet stores run by large brands. As factory outlets the stores primarily offer goods from previous seasons at discounted rates of at least 30%. Ellesmere Port is also home to the National Waterways Museum.  Designed by the great civil engineer Thomas Telford, the docks at Ellesmere Port were still in use as late as the 1950s. They were a marvellously self-contained world and when you visit the museum today you can still walk around its locks, docks and warehouses and visit its forge, stables and workers cottages. There's so much to explore from the handsome Victorian buildings, which house the museum's fascinating displays, to the locks and moorings, home to colourful historic and visiting narrow boats. You can also climb aboard their canal boat Centaur for a boat trip on the Shropshire Union Canal. This 30-minute boat trip takes you through a fascinating industrial landscape criss-crossed with past and present transport systems. Your tour guide will unfold for you the stories that lie behind the passing bridges and quaysides and bring to life the changing fortunes of the canal and its people.

To the east side of the city is Chester Zoo, the UK's largest zoo with over 11,000 animals in 110 acres of award-winning gardens. In 2015 Chester Zoo opened its £40m Islands project that recreates exotic islands of South East Asia in Cheshire. This is the largest development in UK zoo history. Islands will bring conservation to life through detailed recreations of habitats in South East Asia in one of the most ambitious zoo expansions ever in Europe. Visitors can set off on their own expedition, walking over bridges, travelling in boats and seeing buildings that are architecturally identical to those found on the islands of Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumba and Sulawesi. “Islands” is a real game-changer for zoos in the UK - a very different zoo experience to anything else that has been done before. This isn’t just about viewing animals in enclosures, it’s about giving people a sense of the environments they live in - the sounds, the smells, the people, the colour and the culture of far-flung islands in South East Asia.

To the south of the city runs the River Dee, with its 11th century weir. The river is crossed by the Old Dee Bridge, dating from the 13th century, the Grosvenor Bridge of 1832, and Queen's Park suspension bridge (for pedestrians). To the southwest of the city the River Dee curves towards the north. Boat trips are available on the River Dee. The area between the river and the city walls here is known as the Roodee, and contains Chester Racecourse which holds a series of horse races and other events. The first recorded race meet in England at Roodee Fields was on 9 February 1540. The Shropshire Union Canal owned by the Canal & River Trust runs to the north of the city and a branch links to the River Dee.

Notable Hotels:

Here we highlight some of the notable hotels in Liverpool including:

Hilton Hotel Liverpool 

Malmaison Liverpool 

Pullman Hotel Liverpool 

Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Liverpool 

Hotel Indigo Liverpool 

Mercure Liverpool Atlantic Tower 

DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton, Liverpool

Aloft Liverpool 

Hope Street Hotel 

30 James Street – Home of the Titanic 

Shankly Hotel 

Titanic Hotel Liverpool (Stanley Dock)

The Liner Hotel, Liverpool 

Parr Street Studios and Hotel 

Staybridge Suites Liverpool

Jurys Inn Liverpool 

Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre 

Novotel Liverpool City Centre 

The Nadler Hotel, Liverpool 

The Heywood House Hotel, Liverpool 

The Richmond Apart-Hotel, Liverpool 

Radisson Blu Hotel Liverpool 

Hotels Further Afield:

Crowne Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport 

The Vincent Hotel, Southport 

The Leverhulme Hotel, Wirral 

Thornton Hall Hotel, Wirral 

Hillbark Hotel, Wirral 

Leasowe Castle Hotel, Wirral 

Inglewood Manor Hotel, Wirral 

Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Chester 

Abode Hotel Chester 

Queens Hotel, Chester 

Links:

Visit Liverpool

It’s Liverpool 

Art in Liverpool 

Culture Liverpool 

Liverpool Film Office 

Liverpool Cruise Terminal at Pier Head