The Sights of Manchester at Christmastime

Thousands of luminaries, candles, holiday lights, warm pastries, hot chocolate, apple cider, craft markets, and holly are only a taste of what it is like to walk around Manchester, England near Christmas. It was my first trip to visit this exciting city, but the festive atmosphere certainly pulled me in. The annual European Christmas markets allow visitors and locals alike to shop among handmade crafts, fare, and homemade desserts. Albert Square in the heart of downtown offers a continental market with chocolates, spices, liqueurs, meats and cheeses, while the nearby St. Ann's Square boasts and exclusively German market. We also visited the historical sights like the Manchester Library, Museum of Science and Industry, and City Hall, which was hosting an original jewelery exhibit.

There is many choices of restaurants for any taste, from the traditional English pub to modern noodle bars—which we sampled many in between! The shopping selection reminded me of a quaint New York fashion avenue, but with cobblestone, pedestrian-only streets lined with hundreds of Christmas wreaths and lighted garland.

Quick Tips:

There are nicely printed, helpful guides to the city available at most public places which outline the popular sights of the town. There are many museums/buildings/galleries/churches that are free or have discounted rates at certain times. The famous downtown markets are free and we spend many hours just walking around enjoying the Christmas spirit and sipping an apple cider. Don't miss riding the Ferris Wheel in Exchange Square, which is like a small version of the London Eye, and gives a bird's eye view of the city (if it's still available).

Best Way To Get Around:

We mainly took taxis for transportation into town from our hotel near the airport (about 20 minutes outside the city). From our hotel, we would call for pickup with a well-known taxi company, which differs from the public "black cabs," and if we knew the time we'd need to return, we'd also reserve a pickup somewhere in the city. Several people warned us about the public black cabs that sit around the city at various points and can pick up passengers "ad hoc" because there is not always a set price and the "official" price tends to go up with inexperienced tourists. Even with an honest "cab" the prices are much higher than a reserved private taxi company for longer rides outside the city. Mostly in town we enjoyed the exercise of walking to the sights and just taking in the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Our first stop after landing in England was the Etrop Grange Hotel which offered a pleasant introduction to the proper English traditions, complete with extensive Christmas decorations and afternoon tea served in the ornate sitting room. Built in the 1700s as a guesthouse, the hotel has been updated for our time, but still retains the old-world charm, even with the wooden, chained pulls of the toilets, to ornate brass door handles. It took us several days to get used to the maze of stairs and hallways, but with 64 rooms, the hotel keeps an intimate feel with private sunrooms, a library, and secluded gardens.

We were offered a temporary room for a small charge when we arrived since it was several hours before check-in and we'd flown from the US overnight. It was a nice welcome to be able to shower and take a nap before lounging in the common room and enjoying a hot drink. A buffet style English breakfast was served each morning in the dining room or you could opt for a hot breakfast plate. We also dined-in at the Coach House restaurant for several dinners during our stay and were served nicely presented meals of gourmet quality.

The staff was extremely friendly and by the end of our stay, remembered us and our meal/drink preferences. Several occasions at breakfast, the server would comment, "I'm guessing you'll have 2 Veggie English Breakfasts?!"—they were always right! This hotel is a wonderful stay outside the city center and right next door to the Manchester Airport—a convenient location and well-worth a stay!

"Wagamama": a fun, but unusual name to say, and a fun, but unusual place to eat! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this hailed noodle bar among the UK. Even the website and modern logo with the famous red star, made us look forward to the evening that we were able to visit. The location in downtown Manchester in the Printworks building is unique with an entrance into a small, empty lobby with a lone stairway descending into the basement-like dining room. The tables are set up cafeteria style where couples sit across from each other and side by side to other patrons. The kitchen is open and the atmosphere is chic and minimalistic—bustling with young energy.

The staff was very friendly immediately letting us know how the menu was arranged and explaining some of the unfamiliar dishes—from ramen, kare noodles, and teppan, to raw juices, sake, and ginger cheesecake. The main dishes are mostly under €10, while the sides and desserts are around €4 to €6. There are several vegetarian options that are clearly labeled on the menu with a red "v" next to the item.

We enjoyed grilled veggie dumplings, a mixed veg fried wide noodle bowl, and a chocolate fudge cake with choco-wasabi sauce. Overall it is a fun, unique, non-expensive restaurant that we would highly recommend during a visit to the UK.

For a bird's eye view of the Manchester area, a stop on the Wheel of Manchester, a large, lighted Ferris wheel similar to the London Eye (but on a smaller scale) was the ride to take. Located in Exchange Square, next to the upscale Selfridges department store, the 180ft tall wheel with 42 self-contained, heated containers used to stand in Paris for several years back, and was set to depart Manchester in February '06. A site to behold at night, the wheel is one of the brightest sights of downtown with brilliant white bulbs along the spokes and capsules.

We had the opportunity to take a spin in December '05 and view the Christmas lights of the city, while listening to a recorded narration about the town in our private "pod." It was well worth the 5euro admission price for this unique 10-minute ride. If you ever happen to run across this fun wheel in a city you visit—it's definitely worth a stop!

What better place to visit in the "birth city of the Industrial Revolution," than a museum dedicated to the preservation and education of Manchester's history of innovation. The Museum of Science & Industry was a fun visit for us, and although it could easily take an entire day to go through, we were only able to visit a handful of sections. There were plenty of families and children enjoying the hands-on exhibits, as well as the interactive displays of the old railway system, inventions through the ages, and weird-science facts.

Located on several acres over one of the world's oldest railway stations, the museum is spread over 5 buildings with exhibitions from outer space, industrial machinery, and evolution of airplanes to hands-on children's' puzzle room, Manchester's Industrial history, and even a walk through the old sewer lines. As if all this entertainment isn't enough reason to stop in - on top of this, admission is free to the public (excluding several special exhibitions). There is also a nice cafe to have lunch and a small gift shop to take home a souvenir. The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm—a must see for the entire family.

One of the most fun experiences that we had while visiting Manchester was strolling through the festive tents of the annual European Christmas market which takes place downtown in Albert Square. There is also an exclusively German market at nearby St. Ann's Square during the season as well. The festivities are held from mid-November to late December each year and are open between 10am to 8pm each day. During the evenings, the tents and wooden, temporary displays are gleaming with colorful holiday lights, and even in the daylight, the holly, cobblestone streets, and spiced air is enough to make the biggest "humbug" smile.

We enjoyed sampling several hot toddies: homemade cider, hot chocolate, and mulled wine; along with many fresh cheeses and truffles. In the arts & crafts section there are many local artists ready to sell you a unique Christmas gift to take home from blown glass ornaments and wooden toys, to homemade baskets and oil paintings. We try to find a local piece of art to bring back from our trips, and were lucky to find one of our favorites so far. Sarah Mitch is a photographer and then pieces her unique photos together by color or composition, and prints them on a stretched canvas of various sizes. It was nice to meet the artists and talk with them about their pieces.

These markets are a MUST-SEE and really, a "can't-miss" because it is in the middle of the city center in front of the City Hall and near many other sights. We would walk through the tents on our way to and from other sights to pick up a bite to eat or just enjoy the festivities.