| Known as a city full of museums and galleries to | | | | Institute of Fine Arts should be on anybody's |
| explore, Birmingham is a hub of knowledge worth | | | | must-see list in Birmingham. Established in 1932 by Sir |
| visiting for one or two particularly impressive names | | | | Henry Barber, the museum is the UK's leading |
| in the fields of art and science alone. Though in any | | | | authority on Renaissance art and sits amongst the |
| city it is possible to keep yourself occupied by | | | | world's finest art collections. Situated within the |
| heading from one museum to the next, Birmingham's | | | | University of Birmingham, the Barber Institute is free |
| collection of public galleries and spaces is second to | | | | and includes Masters such as Monet, Matisse, Botticelli |
| none, and not only defines the city's past and | | | | and Rodin amongst its permanent collection. |
| present but holds in store a few surprises too. | | | | Head down to Trinity Road and you will find Aston |
| One of Birmingham's most popular attractions, though | | | | Hall. Built between 1618 and 1635 for Sir Thomas Holt, |
| little heard of past the city limits, is the Museum of | | | | this vast and grand mansion is now a living museum, |
| the Jewellery Quarter. Like most of the city's | | | | full of period rooms and features, which are all kept |
| museums the entrance is free, and the displays | | | | in immaculate condition. Free entry again, this opulent |
| themselves are within a simple terraced house which | | | | abode was once amongst the city's finest addresses |
| was once one of the city's most productive and | | | | and boasts the paintings, antiques and textiles that |
| prolific jewellery makers. This compact space, in the | | | | come with such standing. |
| heart of the busy Jewellery Quarter, shows the | | | | Perhaps the most popular museum in the city though |
| conditions the jewellers found themselves making | | | | is The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in |
| pieces in as the vintage machinery, work benches | | | | Chamberlain Square. Promising to cover "the last |
| and intricate hand tools still lie untouched since the | | | | 400,000 years of history" this free entry exhibit |
| company closed its doors in the recession of 1981. | | | | space is probably most famous for its Pre-Raphaelite |
| Step back in time with the tell-tale signs of the era, | | | | collection, with many great works from French, Italian |
| from homemade jams sitting on the shelves to dusty | | | | and Dutch artists of the period. However, the |
| newspapers still sitting folded up, as this personal | | | | museum and art gallery covers so much that you |
| insight into Birmingham's industrial revolution is perhaps | | | | could spend several days getting to know the |
| the best. Of course, the Jewellery Quarter is just as | | | | various displays; from sculpture and archaeology, to |
| buzzing today as it was during the 20th century, as | | | | natural history, ceramics and a lot more. |
| much of England's jewellery is produced in this small | | | | To see the city's impressive museum and gallery |
| district. | | | | collection in full, book into one of the many |
| Drawing visitors from around the globe, the Barber | | | | Birmingham hotels and make a weekend of it. |