Manchester Get your Bearings

Manchester has plenty to hold your gaze. Look out for the imposing Victorian/Gothic Town Hall, fine medieval carvings in the Cathedral, the three domes of the Royal Exchange and the dramatic glass structure of Urbis. The Mancunian skyline is forever changing - the country’s tallest residential building, Beetham Tower (Hilton Tower), offers hotel accommodation on the lower 23 floors.

Manchester’s two largest parks are Heaton Park in the north and Wythenshawe Park in the south. Heaton boasts 600 acres of beautiful parkland, gardens and pastures and no less than ten listed buildings. Wythenshawe's educational horticultural centre has a lush safari walk filled with exotic plants like bananas, pineapples and tea plants.

The historic area of Castlefield, with its canals and walkways, is a good place for a stroll. Away from the busy city centre, Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens in Didsbury has rare trees and plants and is popular for sports such as football, tennis and bowls.

It's a fifteen-minute walk from Piccadilly Station to the shops on King Street and just ten minutes from the station to Manchester Art Gallery. Manchester's city centre is compact and it's possible to walk from one side to the other in less than 20 minutes.

Make use of the Metroshuttle, Manchester's free bus service which provides three circular routes covering all the main city-centre areas. The highly efficient Metrolink tram system also runs through the city centre and on to the Quays, Eccles and Bury. The service runs so frequently that there's no need to consult a timetable - just turn up and travel.