Liverpool hotels

After more than a decade of regeneration, Liverpool’s continuing renaissance and a transformed economy have given the city and its people a new confidence. Football-crazy and with a rich musical heritage, the city’s European Capital of Culture year in 2008 further enhanced its reputation.

From the Mersey Ferry, views of Liverpool’s magnificent waterfront are dominated by the Royal Liver Building, topped by the city’s iconic “Liver Birds”. Just to the south, the Tate Liverpool and Merseyside Maritime Museum are both housed in the revitalised Albert Dock, while Liverpool Cathedral, one of two in the city, is a neo-Gothic masterpiece.

Well-established department store John Lewis has relocated, moving from pedestrianised Church Street to Liverpool One. Browse at designer label stores in the Met Quarter on Whitechapel or take a stroll up Bold Street to check out quality one-off fashion boutiques, vintage clothes shops and good international food stores. Head to Mathew Street for the excellent Beatles Shop.

Head to the waterfront to relax in the open space of the Pier Head Piazza. The so-called Three Graces - the Royal Liver, the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool Buildings - give the area historic character and there are lawns and statues along the river front. Chavasse Park provides a large area of greenery in the heart of the city.

The Playhouse and Everyman lead a thriving theatre scene, while the Walker Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool present major exhibitions. Go back to the Sixties at the Beatles Story museum in Albert Dock and the Cavern Club in Mathew Street. Top bands play at the Academy and the new Echo Arena, while the Korova hosts up-and-coming acts. The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is home to the long-established Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

The city centre offers a variety of culinary treats. Concert Square has a mix of relaxed restaurants and bistros, while Bold Street offers European eateries and café bars. Chinatown, around Berry Street, draws diners into its fragrant restaurants, and the East Village has an exciting new restaurant quarter.

Richard Wilson’s public artwork, Turning the Place Over, at Cross Keys House in Moorfields, demands a double take: a huge circular section of a building pops out and rotates every few seconds. A few miles up the coast, Anthony Gormley has put Crosby beach on the map with his installation, Another Place, peppering the sands with 100 cast-iron figures.