Manchester is internationally recognised for being the home to Manchester United, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, and Wigan Athletic football clubs, as well as four Coca-Cola League football teams, seven top rugby teams and around 90 golf courses.
Recent major sporting events that took place in Manchester include:
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
9th FINA World Swimming Championships
Paralympic World Cup
UEFA Cup Final
BUPA Great Manchester Run
Hi-Tec World Squash Championships
If your passion is for the great outdoors, then the city region has something for everybody. There are four national parks within an hour’s drive as well as one of the first country parks in the UK. If you’re looking for something more adventurous try visiting Chill Factore, the Northwest’s first indoor real snow Alpine ski village.
Shopping
Manchester city centre is the main shopping centre for the entire Northwest region. Over recent years, Manchester has undergone a huge transformation, turning it into one of Europe’s best shopping centres. For an out-of-town shopping experience visit The Trafford Centre, one of the UK’s largest indoor shopping malls, located a few miles to the west of the city centre.
Food & Drink
The city region offers a huge choice of restaurants specialising in the best of French, Italian, Thai, Korean, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Mexican, Japanese or even Mongolian cuisine as well as seafood, sushi, tapas and noodle bars.
If you’d prefer a quick drink with friends, there’s an even wider choice of pubs and bars. From ultra-chic and modern wine bars, to traditional drinking pubs, Manchester really does have the lot.