My Liverpool top spots – travel tips and sights

She is Manchester’s ugly sister. A working-class town without charm. In the 90s, it was one of the poorest cities in Western Europe. And then there are the Beatles and glorious football, which thread like a red thread through the last decades of the city’s history. In 2015 it can be said that Liverpool have picked themselves up. The city is growing and thriving and attracts visitors with a well-mixed cultural programme as well as an architecturally interesting mix of former industrial buildings and modern high-rise buildings. I loved Liverpool. The city has an incredible number of facets and its inhabitants have a sense of humour.

After a week of intensive sightseeing I found my favorite places and I don’t want to withhold them from you.

Albert Dock – or how a city reinvents itself

In 2004, the historic part of the port city of Liverpool was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old docks along the River Mersey are still the heart of the city. For example, the so-called Pier Head with the striking buildings called Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building is impressive. Modern glass buildings have been added between the historic buildings in recent years as part of urban renewal. Also striking is the new building of the Danish office 3xN, which houses the Museum of Liverpool. A successful mix, in my opinion.

The No. 1 port of call for tourists is the Albert Dock next to Pier Head. The old warehouse buildings have been converted and now house restaurants, shops and museums. These include the Tate Liverpool with modern art and the Merseyside Maritime Museum, which is free to visit. On the top floor is the International Slavery Museum, which sheds light on a dark side of imperialist history. Liverpool was one of the main hubs in the slave trade. Especially in typical English rainy weather, the Albert Dock offers exciting indoor activities.

Weird, weird, Bold Street

One street that I am particularly fond of is just east of the Liverpool One shopping district. In this respect, the city is relatively simple. Most of the standard shops are located along the pedestrian streets between South John Street, Lord Street and Church Street. Along Bold Street, on the other hand, a motley mix of stores and restaurants has taken root. Second-hand and vintage lovers will get their money’s worth here. Gourmets like me, on the other hand, can’t get past Custom Cupcake & Co. unscathed. At the eastern end of Bold Street is St. Lukes Church, which was bombed out during World War II and left standing as a memorial.

Looking up in St. George’s Quarter

The so-called “cultural quarter” St. Georges Quarter is one of Liverpool’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Victorian architecture at its finest is concentrated here – including St. George’s Hall, Lime Street Station, Walker Art Gallery, the World Museum, the former Great North Western Hotel and the entrance to the Queensway Tunnel, which crosses under the River Mersey. Another gem in this ensemble of buildings is the Central Library. The building was reopened in 2013 after a renovation phase with an impressive atrium. On the top floor of the library there is a publicly accessible observation deck, which hardly any tourist knows about and offers a beautiful view over this part of the city.

Georgian Splendor on Hope Street

If I had to look for an apartment or a house in Liverpool, I would look around Hope Street. The main street of the Canning Georgian Quarter leads from the impressive Metropolitan Cathderal (Roman Catholic) to the Anglican cathedral of Liverpool Cathedral. The street is lined with numerous restaurants and bars. Also unmissable is the building of the Philharmonic Hall. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the world. Even if you don’t care much about churches, you should definitely take a look inside Liverpool Cathedral. It is one of the largest cathedral churches of its kind and impresses with its enormous dimensions. For around £5, you can enjoy a unique panoramic view of the Merseyside area from Monday to Saturday from the 100m high Vestey Tower. Unfortunately, I totally overslept the first time that the tower is open to the public and for the second visit I chose a Sunday, which was also rather suboptimal. But you need reasons to come back to a city. Right in front of the cathedral on the corner of Great George Street and Upper Duke Street, there is another highlight to admire. This is the largest Chinese gate outside of China and at the same time forms the entrance to Europe’s oldest Chinatown.

I fell in love with Dublin’s Georgian quarter two years ago and now I have to admit that Liverpool’s Georgian quarter trumps that. I’ve photographed so many doors that I’m even thinking about doing a photo post with just all the pretty doors. Let’s see. In any case, you should not miss this quarter.

Strawberry Fields forever

In Liverpool, you stumble across Beatles song lines in various places. For example, at Strawberry Field, a building that was used as an orphanage from the 1930s onwards and on whose grounds John Lennon played with his friends as a child. Unfortunately, it was not yet “forever” and was closed in 2005. After the site was then open to everyone, it was cleared again a few years ago. However, the red entrance gate is still a place of pilgrimage for die-hard Beatles fans. The site is located on Beaconsfield Road, which is easiest to reach from the centre by buses 75, 86 and 86 A.

Penny Lane in full length

[blockquote style=”1″] In Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs Of every head he’s had the pleasure to know And all the people that come and go Stop and say hello[/blockquote]

There is probably no street in Liverpool where so many street signs are stolen as in Penny Lane. John Lennon and Paul McCartney grew up in this area and what is still described as “suburban” in the song is now part of the city of Liverpool, but has retained its suburban character. On Penny Lane Millenium Green – a green space right next to the road – a development project was successfully prevented after years of negotiations and a community centre dedicated to the Beatles was built instead. My recommendation: put in the headphones, turn the song Penny Lane to full volume and walk along the street of the same name.

Hip Places: Sefton Park and Lark Lane

If you follow Penny Lane in a southerly direction and then turn into Greenbank Lane, you will come directly to Sefton Park. This green oasis is the perfect place for those who want to leave city life behind for a while. The huge park is crisscrossed with watercourses and gnarled old trees provide wonderful shade. Not to be missed is the Grade II listed Victorian-era Palm House and the colourful bandstand (which, by the way, inspired the Beatles to write the song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band).

If you cross Sefton Park in a southerly direction, you will come to Lark Lane. Along this unconventional neighbourhood street, there are surprisingly numerous nice cafés and restaurants. The perfect place for a refreshment after a long walk through the park. For example, we recommend the Moon & Pea (unfortunately closed). I just don’t get the idea to have brunch here on Sunday morning at 9 o’clock. Before 11 o’clock hardly anyone opens his shop – I tested it.

Another Place – Liverpool’s most beautiful side

100 figures made of cast iron, which look out into the sea and are partly completely taken over by the sea at high tide. The impressive installation by Antony Gormley is called “Another Place” and runs the entire length of Crosby Beach. A truly magical place that is also suitable for “watching the sunset”. However, don’t forget to keep an eye on the sea at all times. The differences between high and low tide are huge and when the tide comes in, you quickly risk getting your feet wet.

The easiest way to get to the starting point “Waterloo” is to take the Northern Line towards Southport from James Street (or Moorfields train station).

Im Cavern Quarter durchtanzen

In the evening, the so-called Cavern Quarter fills up with a nightlife crowd. In the pubs along Mathew Street, night turns into day. Of course, the most popular among tourists is the Cavern Club, where the Beatles played several times in the early days of their career. If you want to explore Liverpool’s nightlife, you’ve come to the right place.

However, even after a week, I still haven’t seen through something. The ticketing and operator system in public transport. In Liverpool there are different bus operators and depending on the bus and route you pay between £1.50 and £3.30 for a single ticket. For some, it costs almost the same with a return ticket and for others you can’t buy a return ticket at all. I don’t want to complain, because apart from the ticket system, which is incomprehensible to me, the buses are always on time and Google Maps has always guided me perfectly through the city. The quickest way to get to the airport is by bus number 500 (£3). More information about public transport in and around Liverpool can be found at Merseytravel.

My stay in Liverpool was supported by Kaplan – thank you very much for that! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.