Staycation swaps: Culture
Want a cultural break? No need for passport queues. See our ideas for cultural destinations in the UK that stand up to their overseas counterparts.
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Sometimes we’re more aware of the culture in city break hotspots than we are in our own country. Here are some suggestions to try instead if you’re looking for inspiration and entertainment that expands the mind and spirit, bit doesn’t put too much pressure on your wallet.
Swap Leipzig for Liverpool
Imagine all the savings... when you choose The Beatles over Bach
Home at some point to Johann Sebastian Bach, Schumann, Wagner, and Mendelssohn, Leipzig in Germany is famous for its music trail linking together the places some of its most famous composers lived and worked.
Although a different musical generation and genre, you can visit the childhood homes of Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon thanks to the National Trust in Liverpool. You’ll see where the Beatles met and wrote some of their earliest songs. You’ll also get insight into their beginnings as people, what formed them and a dose of nostalgia for the 1950s.
If it’s more live music you prefer, book a seat at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and sit back and listen to some of the best tunes around.
And if that isn’t enough culture, go just 6 miles north of central Liverpool to Crosby beach and see the public artwork Another Place by Antony Gormley. You’ll see 100 cast-iron, life-size figures spread over 2 miles along the coast, appearing and submerging as the tide goes in and out. Tate Liverpool is currently being refurbished but you can still visit a couple of galleries at RIBA North on Mann Island. Or until 27 May, 2025 why not visit the Upside Down House and feel like you are defying gravity– great for Instagram shots.
Swap New York for Stratford Upon Avon
For drama choose the bard’s way, not Broadway
Broadway may have its glittering lights but you don’t have to sit for six hours on a plane to find world-class theatre. At least once (if not more times) all true theatregoers should make a pilgrimage to the home of the bard, William Shakespeare himself.
The Royal Shakespeare Company brings fresh interpretations to classics. And if you’ve got children studying Shakespeare at school watching good performers can make the whole thing come alive. But don’t worry, if Tudor drama isn’t your thing there’s always something more modern on too.
While you are there you can fully immerse yourself in Shakespeare the man too, with visits to the famed writer’s birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s cottage.
Stratford also has the unique Mad Museum showcasing Kinetic Art and Automata from pioneering artists Kinetic Art and Automata from pioneering artists from all over the world. For something a bit different, over the summer there’s the Butterfly Farm with exotic butterflies from around the world flying in a tropical environment enhanced with fish pools.
Swap La Fenice in Venice for Glyndebourne
Head down south for high notes
La Fenice is an opera-lover's dream setting in the watery city of Venice, but Glyndebourne can deliver equally entrancing moments. Renowned for its picnics in the gorgeous grounds as well as its fine dining – and that’s before you even think about singing, you’ll have a memorable musical experience. With an ever-changing programme you’ll find something to suit your tastes.
If you need your watery fix too, stay by the seaside and drive up to the opera from Eastbourne in a little over 35 minutes. Basing yourself there expands your cultural horizons as you can also take in the Towner gallery which has world-class shows and the Congress Theatre which offers all sorts of different entertainments. Plus, just 20 minutes along the coast you’ll find nearby Bexhill–on-Sea where there’s the De La Warr Pavilion which has an art gallery and concert venue.
Swap Amsterdam for Birmingham
Change up ballet and canals for ballet and canals
The largest dance company in the Netherlands, the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam is known for its wide repertoire. The classics and more modern works will thrill and inspire you. But you can save the cost of flights and the stress of airports and instead opt for the equally impressive Royal Ballet in Birmingham.
Now led by the famous Carlos Acosta, the Royal Ballet showcases the best in classical and contemporary dance. If you go around Christmas or the New Year time, there’s always a seasonal favourite. Or you could watch a pioneering new work, that everyone’s talking about.
Both cities are known for their canals. Amsterdam may be more picturesque but Birmingham has a lively scene around Gas Street Basin – with shops, restaurants and bars where you can look out on to the boats.
Stay: If watching other people dance and strolling the canalside leaves you craving a good night’s sleep, we recommend resting your head (and legs) at Best Western Plough & Harrow Hotel
Swap Cannes For The Edinburgh Film Festival
You cannae find a better alternative
In truth Cannes is more designed for the film industry than the ordinary filmgoer, so while the glamour of it might be on all of our wishlists, it’s a pipe dream for most of us. This makes the Edinburgh International Film Festival a fantastic alternative where you can hear legendary filmmakers talk about their work and see the latest offerings. It runs during the festival season and hosts may UK and world premieres.
If you’re a film buff in Edinburgh outside the festival time you can instead check out the locations for Ian Rankin’s TV and detective series Rebus including the famous Oxford Bar and the Grassmarket in the old part of the city. There are also locations for Trainspotting, Sunshine on Leith and One Day to explore among others. It’s a popular place to film.
Culture vultures may also want to take in The Writer’s Museum and the National Museum of Scotland.
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