Liverpool's waterfront — the Three Graces of the Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool Buildings — is one of Britain's most dramatic civic statements, a reminder that this was once one of the world's great trading ports. The Albert Dock has been transformed into an outstanding cultural quarter: Tate Liverpool, the Beatles Story and the International Slavery Museum occupy the refurbished dock warehouses, while the new Museum of Liverpool tells the city's extraordinary social history with unusual honesty. Beyond the Beatles pilgrimage (Penny Lane, Strawberry Field and the Cavern Club all deliver), Liverpool's independent galleries in the Baltic Triangle, the Walker Art Gallery's Rubens and Rembrandt, and a restaurant scene that has finally matched the city's ambition make this one of England's most rewarding weekends.
- Suggested duration: 3–4 days
- Best time to visit: April to October; the Grand National at Aintree in April and International Beatleweek in August are highlights.