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Birmingham is beautiful English city, one of the main centers of technical education. It’s the second biggest city in Britain, located in the very heart of the country, in Warwickshire County. It’s not one of the most popular tourist destinations in England, but it’s a big city with a long history and has a lot to offer.
The first settlement on the place of the present Birmingham dates back to XI century. Since XIII century Birmingham is known for its trade fairs.
Modern Birmingham presents a unique combination of the contemporary architecture, restored buildings of the city center hardly damaged during World War II and old industrial and residential buildings where jewelers and craftsmen once lived. Among the historical buildings survived till now are – gothic-style Saint Martin church (XIII century), Cathedral (1710-1715), classic-style City Hall (built in 1832-1852), Aston Hall (XVII century) and Soho House (XVIII century).
As for culture, Birmingham is known for its famous orchestra and Royal Birmingham Ballet. The city also has fabulous City's Alexandra Theatre and modern Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Birmingham has always been a progressive city and became one of the main meeting centers in Europe. It boasts three Europe-best conference venues. National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is Britain’s biggest collection of exhibition halls and hosts many of the largest shows in Europe. The National Sea Life Centre in the heart of the city was built in the last ten years and provides an amazing display of over 3000 aquatic creatures as well as the world's first 360 degree transparent tunnel.
One of the newest Birmingham attractions is Millennium Point, made up of ten themed galleries of interactive, informative exhibits. It was opened in September 2001 and since that has attracted about 280,000 visitors.
Birmingham has over 8,000 acres of parks, and public open spaces – it’s more than in any other European city. Sutton Park is Birmingham's largest park, covering 971 hectares (2,400 acres) consisting of woodlands, heathlands and wetlands. Another park worth mentioning is Cannon Hill Park, few miles from Birmingham city centre. It’s the most varied and attractive of all Birmingham's parks.
Another symbol of Birmingham is Cadbury chocolate factory offering excursions and tours to the history of chocolate. Day trips to this chocolate paradise can become an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Nearby Bromsgrove (museum of the historic buildings under the sky), Wolverhampton (housing art masterpiece Wightwick estate), Stourbridge (well-known glass center) and Coventry (with beautiful old and new cathedrals) are located.
