Holiday rentals in Birmingham

The second-largest city in the United Kingdom, Birmingham is a creative melting pot, thanks in part to its cultural diversity. Past its historic factories and workshops (many of which are now loft apartments) run a vast network of canals—Birmingham is said to have more miles of waterways than Venice—and there’s plenty of green space too. Around the modern city center sits an array of neighborhoods, including leafy Edgbaston, where you can watch top-flight cricket and tennis; the artsy manufacturing and design village of the Jewellery Quarter; and hipster Digbeth, home to one of the best weekly food and drink festivals in the UK. Widely renowned as a shopping destination, Birmingham can also lay claim to England’s oldest working cinema.

It can be fairly rainy in Birmingham. The city averages 27.8 inches of rainfall a year, so it’s a good idea to bring an umbrella. The average temperature in the summer months hovers around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and rarely gets above the high 70s. Winters are cold, averaging only a couple of hours of sunshine a day and dropping to an average of 39 degrees Fahrenheit in January. You’d be wise to pack a sweater any time of the year you visit, and a waterproof jacket is a must.

Bullring

Birmingham offers a wide spectrum of retail therapy, from its traditional Rag Market to high-end designer fashion and interiors at the Mailbox mall. The city’s most beloved shopping destination is the Bullring, a gloriously futuristic-looking mall that’s home to 200 shops including the famous Selfridges department store.

Sutton Park

A few miles to the north of the city center, Sutton Park is a 2,400-acre nature reserve, and one of the largest urban parks in Europe. Its landscape dates back to Roman times, when locals used to hunt and graze animals here. You still might see cows or ponies, but there’s plenty of other wildlife to enjoy, including the many species of birds that flock to its wetlands.

Balti Triangle

To the south of the city center, just north of Moseley, a cluster of streets around Balsall Heath celebrates a dish that was created here in the 1970s. The balti is a curry developed by immigrant Kashmiris and cooked and served in a deep dish with naan bread served alongside. The family-run restaurants of the Balti Triangle are the perfect place to experience it.