![\"Birmingham](\"https:\/\/travelodgeblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/BRM012-RAW.jpg\")
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1.Browse the Ikon gallery If you want to delve deeper, join a 15-minute spotlight tour \u2013 a knowledgeable member of staff will help you understand more about one of the key pieces on display. There are regular family events, too, and a lovely gift shop.<\/p>\n 1 Oozells Street, B1 2HS. Open Tuesday \u2013 Sunday, 11am – 5pm. Closed Mondays (except Bank Holidays.)<\/em><\/p>\n 2.Enjoy the beauty of Lickey Hills Country Park In fact, the hills are thought to be the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s mythical Shire featured in the Lord of The Rings books, as he spent time here as a boy. Don\u2019t miss the toposcope at the summit of Beacon Hill, built by the Cadbury family. Sadly it\u2019s not made of chocolate!<\/p>\n Warren Lane, Lickey, Birmingham B45 8ER. Open 10am – 4.30pm every day.<\/em><\/p>\n 3.Meet the donkeys at The Donkey Sanctuary<\/strong><\/p>\n Your little ones will love The Donkey Sanctuary<\/span><\/a> in Sutton Coldfield. Founded in 1969, the sanctuary is home to a group of friendly donkeys, who have a leafy paddock all to themselves, nestled in the middle of Sutton Park. The donkeys come from all over the world \u2013 once you\u2019ve met them, you can read more about their colourful life stories, and the Sanctuary\u2019s work, in the visitor centre.<\/p>\n The Town Gate, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield B74 2YT. Open 3pm – 5pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10am – 3pm Saturday – Sunday.<\/em><\/p>\n 4.Be a culture vulture at The mac Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH. Open 9am – 10pm every day.<\/em><\/p>\n 5. Become a TV presenter at BBC Public Space<\/strong><\/p>\n Head to Level 3 of The Mailbox shopping centre to find BBC Public Space<\/span><\/a>, where you can explore the fascinating world of public-service broadcasting. First off, visit The Blue Room, a showcase for new, innovative BBC technologies. There are guides on hand to help explain it all. Then, head upstairs to the Public Space to deliver your own weather forecast, or try your hand at presenting the news. Can you keep up with the autocue?<\/p>\n BBC Birmingham, B1 1RF. Open 10am – 5pm Mondays – Saturdays, 11am – 5pm Sundays.<\/em><\/p>\n 6.Walk the Tolkien trail Starts at 264 Wake Green Road.<\/em> Download the map here\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n 7.Explore the canals 8.Visit the Library of Birmingham The council held an international competition to design the building, which opened in 2013 and in 2015, it was the most visited tourist attraction outside of London having had over 2 million visits. It\u2019s as stunning inside as it is on the outside \u2013 a series of mezzanine levels, lined with bookshelves, all coiling around brightly lit escalators. Not to be missed.<\/p>\n Centenary Square, Broad Street, B1 2ND. Open Monday – Tuesday 11am – 7pm, Wednesday – Saturday 11am – 5pm.<\/em><\/p>\n 9. See the Staffordshire Hoard
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\nArt lovers flock to the Ikon<\/span><\/a> \u2013 Brum\u2019s answer to The Tate Modern. It\u2019s an internationally renowned contemporary art gallery, where you can see works from established artists and up-and-coming talent, all free of charge.<\/p>\n
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\nLickey Hills<\/span><\/a> is one of the city\u2019s best-kept secrets. About 10 miles southwest of the centre, you\u2019ll find 524 acres of untouched greenery to explore, all sprawling woods and sun-dappled meadows.<\/p>\n
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\nThe mac<\/span><\/a> is a real multi-tasker \u2013 it\u2019s an art gallery, theatre, museum, cinema, as well as one of the region\u2019s best venues for music, comedy and dance. It even hosts the odd food market! The building itself is a work of art, too, a modernist masterpiece rising out of the natural beauty of Cannon Hill Park, close to the University of Birmingham. It\u2019s free to visit, take a look around, and enjoy some of the exhibitions.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Hobbit and Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien grew up in and around the city, and many of its landscapes influenced the wonderful fantasy worlds he created.\u00a0This pretty walking trail<\/span><\/a> takes you through the village of Sarehole \u2013 and Sarehole Mill, where he played as a child \u2013 Mosely Bog, recalled in the author\u2019s \u2018Old Forest\u2019, and a pair of towers said to have influenced the \u2018Two Towers of Gondor\u2019 from his books. The walk finishes in the city centre at the Library of Birmingham.<\/p>\n
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\nDoes Birmingham have more canals than Venice? Well, it depends where you draw the city boundaries. But either way, the centre of Brum is criss-crossed with plenty of picturesque waterways. \u00a0Start at Sherborne Wharf in the heart of the city, dotted with caf\u00e9s, restaurants, and cosy pubs. Wander past the Arena Birmingham<\/span><\/a>, National SEA LIFE Centre<\/span><\/a> and into postcard-pretty Gas Street Basin, the end of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal \u2013 a perfectly preserved vista of 19th-century industry.<\/p>\n
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\nMuch more than just a local library, the Library of Birmingham<\/span><\/a> is the largest public cultural space in Europe. A jaw-dropping, ultra-modern celebration of reading, it houses 10 floors of books and technology, as well as important historical archives, courses and seminars on every topic.<\/p>\n![\"Secret](\"https:\/\/travelodgeblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/BRM030-RAW.jpg\")
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\nPay a visit to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery