Manchester Journals

The Sights of Manchester at Christmastime

Best of IgoUgo

A December 2005 trip to Manchester by airynfaerie

Christmas Market Photo - Manchester Christmas Market, Manchester, England

Quote: A visit to Manchester, England near Christmas is a treat for your senses with the markets, pastries, and fragrant spices!

21 Photos

The Sights of Manchester at Christmastime

Overview

Quote:

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. Read Less

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Etrop Grange

Hotel | "Etrop Grange Corus Hotel"

Quote:

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 sev...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 27, 2006

Etrop Grange
Thorley Lane
Manchester, England M90 4EG
0844 855 9118

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Wagamama

Restaurant

Quote:

"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 immedi...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 27, 2006

Wagamama
1 the printworks
Manchester, England M4 2BS
+44 (161) 839 5916

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Wheel of Manchester

Attraction | "The Wheel of Manchester"

Quote:

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 abou...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 28, 2006

Wheel of Manchester
Exchange Square
Manchester, England

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Museum of Science & Industry

Attraction | "Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester"

Quote:

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 machine...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 28, 2006

Museum of Science & Industry
Liverpool Road Castlefield
Manchester, England M3 4FP
+44 161 832 2244

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Manchester Christmas Market

Attraction | "European Christmas Market"

Quote:

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,...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 28, 2006

Manchester Christmas Market
Albert Square
Manchester, England