Popular sports include cricket, football, rugby and golf. For those who aren’t as interested in sports and athletics, exploring the city’s canals is a popular pastime – as is shopping, with Birmingham considered one of Britain’s top shopping destinations.

Cricket, tennis, football and more: cricket has been around for hundreds of years and one of England’s best-known grounds is here, at Edgbaston, which regularly plays host to international test matches.

Exploring Birmingham’s canal: in the heart of the city, the area that’s home to Birmingham’s canal network offers the perfect place to enjoy a peaceful walk or a quiet bicycle ride. The canal area is historic and quite scenic – and also offers a bit of respite from the otherwise busy city. Many popular pubs line the canals; and boat rides and tours along the canals are available.

Shopping: in addition to the great shopping found around the Jewellery Quarter, there are more than 700 retail outlets in Birmingham, making it a great destination for shoppers. Many people living in the Midlands come to the city just for the shopping, drawn to areas such as Cannon street and New street, with their recently-opened designer shops.

At the heart of the city, near St Martins Square, the Bull Ring has undergone substantial redevelopment, becoming Europe’s largest centre-city retail complex. This complex’s design follows the street patterns of the historic centre and links High street and New street. The shopping here is more mainstream and less pricey than at the Mailbox.