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Manchester places

Castlefield
For many years, Manchester's industrial heart beat in Castlefield, previously the site of a 1st-Century AD Roman fort. The city's industrial past can never be forgotten, however. It is a treat for lovers of industrial landscapes that, contrary to the commonly-held stereotype, can be charming and fascinating. This is a great reason to visit Castlefield, now turned into the Urban Heritage Park.

Salford Quays
Another site where Manchester's former industrial might was tailored to the needs of the modernity is Salford Quays, where the docks used to operate. Today, the remains of the docks, together with a building called the Lowry, form a nice district full of pubs and entertainment venues.

Quarry Bank Mill
Finally, to crown the tour of this once industrial city, there is the Quarry Bank Mill, the perfectly-preserved 18th-Century industrial complex where cotton was once processed. And it still is, as the visitors will not be limited to seeing just the dead machines. Cotton is still produced here, and guides give you a good insight into the production process, as well as into the lives of the people who worked up a sweat in such places as the Quarry Bank Mill or Castlefield.

Albert Square
There is more to see in Manchester than that, though it is a bit lacking in antiquities. However, it is not for antiquities that Manchester is worth seeing, but rather for the city's industrial legacy and its currently very vibrant cultural scene. Albert Square is perhaps the best place to begin exploring Manchester. It is the very center of the city, as well as a place where one of the defining moments of the city's history took place. In 1819, the authorities panicked upon seeing several thousand workers marching in protest. Troops were sent in to brutally quash the otherwise-peaceful march. The place of the clash between "them" and the people is marked today.

Town Hall
In terms of architecture, Albert Square is thoroughly Victorian. Interesting buildings include the Town Hall and the railway station-turned-exhibition known as the G-Mex Exhibition and Event Centre. Albert Hall and its immediate neighborhood clearly show the shift that Manchester has been undergoing for some time now, from an industrial city of note to a cultural city of note. Apart from the city's club scene, evidence of this can be found at the John Rylands Library, which houses priceless manuscripts, or the Pumphouse People's History Museum, dedicated to the working-class struggle for basic rights.