The 10 british cities with top-rated cultural attractions
Top 10 UK cities with great cultural attractions
Holidu, the search engine for holiday rentals has compiled Google Reviews for cultural attractions in British cities.
Museums, art galleries, libraries, theatres, and cinemas have been considered, with the top 10 being made up of the cities with the highest average rating of these attractions.
Edinburgh - Average of 4.61/5
Edinburgh is the best UK city to head to if you’re interested in top-rated cultural attractions! This comes as no surprise. The city is bursting with a variety of cultural offerings, from impressive museums to theatre performances.
Revel at captivating views in museums and art galleries (photo: unsplash)
Edinburgh is home to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival that takes place in August every year. Moreover, the event sees artists and performers flock from all over the world to take part. Finally, Edinburgh is the world’s first-appointed UNESCO City of Literature!
Portsmouth - Average of 4.61/5
Portsmouth secures its place as the second best-rated city with cultural sites in the UK. It is informally named as the ‘City of Museums’ due to its wide array of museums.
why not explore the library and take a look at new book releases?(photo: unsplash)
If you’re interested in scouting out artwork, head to The Hotwalls Studio. This is a collection of 13 creative studios. It is situated in a 15th-century former military barracks!
Lovers of literature can pay a visit to the Charles Dickens Museum. This is a small, terraced house in which the novelist was born! It has been restored to resemble how the house would have looked back in 1812.
Newcastle - Average of 4.59/5
Newcastle takes the third-place position! Be it fascinating art or iconic history, Newcastle will not disappoint. The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is located on the banks of the River Tyne at Gateshead. In addition, it offers free admission to see its wonderful exhibitions.
It is situated in a re-purposed flour mill, making it an impressive spot to visit even just for that reason! Once inside, you can also go up to the viewing platform. This is the perfect spot for a panoramic view of Newcastle Gateshead. Also, don’t miss your chance to see Anthony Gormley's incredible Angle of the North statue!
York - Average of 4.56/5
York takes its rightful place in the top five of this ranking of cultural cities. A city known for its cutting edge of artistic innovation, a trip to York will leave you with an abundance of things to see and do.
One of the city’s most popular attractions is the National Railway Museum York, a museum that tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society.
Belfast - Average of 4.56/5
Securing a place in the top five cities with the best-rated cultural attractions is the Northern Irish city of Belfast. The Titanic Museum is always at the top of a must-see list when visiting Belfast.
Why not watch a film at the theatre? (photo: unsplash)
If you want to catch a movie whilst in Belfast, head to Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT), a premier arthouse that has been home to classic, Irish, foreign, avantegarde and cult cinema since 1968.
History buffs will also be fascinated for hours at the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum, which tells the story of Northern Ireland’s role in World War II, as well as how local industries contributed to the war effort, the Belfast Blitz in 1941 and the impact of the American presence 1942-44.
Leeds - Average of 4.56/5
Leeds is a great choice if you fancy a city break with plenty of top-rated cultural things to do. Whether you fancy a trip to the theatre, enjoying a film at an old school cinema, or taking in works of art at a museum, there is something for everyone.
Leeds is a brilliant city to explore, capture and watch new releases in (photo: unsplash)
As if that wasn’t enough, a simple stroll through the city streets provides plenty of historic buildings to gaze at! Visit the Abbey House Museum to get a feel of what it was like to live in Victorian times, with an old Victorian street filled with old school shops and a little Victorian drinking house.
London - Average of 4.56/5
Of course, this ranking would not be complete without an appearance by the big capital! With an immense offering of over 350 attractions, many of which are world-class, it’s unsurprising that London has some of the best-rated attractions in the country.
Why not watch an theatre performance in London (photo: unsplash)
Lovers of theatre travel from far and wide to catch a show on one of London’s famous West End stages. It is currently home to productions of favourites such as Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre.
Liverpool - Average of 4.52/5
Next up is Liverpool, a city which holds the title of being a UNESCO City of Music due to it being home to The Beatles, one of the most influential rock bands in history.
Music remains to be at the heart of Liverpool’s cultural scene and the city offers plenty for tourists to do when visiting. Beatles fans can visit The Beatles Story Museum, The Cavern Club and even Lennon and McCartney’s childhood homes. Another big attraction in the city is the Tate Liverpool, a British and international contemporary and modern art gallery.
Sunderland - Average of 4.52/5
One of the more unique attractions to find in Sunderland is The National Glass Centre. Part of the University of Sunderland, this cultural attraction celebrates the glass making heritage of the city and explores the creative potential of the fascinating material.
A trip there will invite you to learn about the history of glassmaking from the 7th century to today, whilst also displaying a host of exhibitions of the work of contemporary glass and ceramics artists.
Coventry - Average of 4.51/5
Rounding up the top 10 is Coventry, and rightly so, as this is the city that currently holds the title of the UK City of Culture 2021, a designation given between 2021 and 2025 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
As the city continues to celebrate this title in 2022, there are many exciting events lined up. This includes BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, taking place in May.
For people visiting Coventry all year round, head to Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, a huge building that houses a museum, art gallery, records archive, learning centre, media studio and creative arts facility.
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