This industrial town on the River Mersey was Britain's major port city in the days of the empire. It was also where more than 9 million emigrants departed on their voyage to the New World. It is full of character and is Britain's most filmed city outside of London—parts of it have doubled as Dublin, Paris, Moscow and Venice.
Liverpool's waterfront has been declared a World Heritage Site, and it has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2008, which includes a yearlong roster of activities designed to highlight the city's heritage. Events focus on everything from art and architecture to music and sports. Highlights include a 10-day film festival at FACT (the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) multimedia complex, the newly opened International Slavery Museum and the Anfield Experience, a behind-the-scenes VIP tour of the soccer stadium. This has brought great investment to the city, and it is no longer the economically depressed place that it once was. It has its own Royal Philharmonic orchestra and a thriving nightlife, with bars, restaurants and hotels springing up everywhere.
Liverypool also has a number of historical World War II-era sites, such as the Gothic Church of St. Luke, bombed into ruins in 1941 during the Blitz and preserved as is. The churchyard has been transformed into a public park, and a new memorial commemorates the victims of the Great Irish Famine of 1845-52.
Another option is to visit the Princes Road Synagogue, which has been operating since 1874, for a look at the history of Jews in Liverpool.
The city's most spectacular pub is the Philharmonic in Hope Street—mahogany everywhere, rococo ceilings and (officially) the best toilets in England.
Liverpool has imposing Victorian architecture, twin cathedrals and several top-notch art museums (including the Liverpool Life Museum and Walker Art Gallery). At the Conservation Centre, there's a fascinating exhibit on art restoration. The Albert Dock has a branch of the Tate Gallery and a maritime museum with a special building dedicated to "Emigrants to the New World."
Liverpool's claim to fame, however, is its identity as home of the Beatles. Fans should take the Magical Mystery Tour, a two-hour minibus ride that takes in major Beatles sites such as Penny Lane. Devoted fans can also tour the house where Paul McCartney lived in the 1950s and early '60s. For a nice view of the city's harbor front and skyline, take the 20-minute ferry ride (as the song says) 'cross the Mersey to Birkenhead. Liverpool is also where you catch the ferry to the Isle of Man. 180 mi/290 km northwest of London.
