Landscapes filled with lakes, estuaries buzzing with birdlife and revolutionary cities with sporting histories: the North West has something for everyone. Explore iconic cities that are as famous for their music scenes as their grand industrial buildings and museums. Hear The Beatles resonate from street corners in Liverpool and the Stone Roses and Oasis rock in fashionable Manchester. Switch off the sound in the Lake District as you retrace trails between ethereal peaks, fells and tarn lakes. Or head for the bright lights of the seaside under hedonistic Blackpool's blazing seafront illuminations. Welcome to a sports lovers' paradise with county crickets grounds, iconic horse races and Premiership football clubs to boot.
North West England
Take a wander around Brotherswater
The Lake District in Cumbria is famous for its stunning landscapes of lakes and fells and is the perfect place for family walks of all ages.
Location: Ambleside, Cumbria
See unusual sculptures in Grizedale Forest
Discover the unexpected, the quirky, the confounding and the confusing in Grizedale Forest with a whole host of art inspired by the landscape.
Location: Windermere, Cumbria
Take in 'Swallows and Amazons' landscapes on a relaxing cruise
Take a trip around the landscape used in the film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ and discover what inspired Arthur Ransome to write his famous book.
Location: Derwentwater, Cumbria
Bird watching in St Bees
The largest seabird colony on the west coast of England is at St Bees Head.
Location: St Bees, Cumbria
Cycle across two national parks
The new Lakes and Dales Loop takes in two National Parks and some of the most scenic landscapes across Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales.
Location: Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
Explore the Lake District on two wheels
The Lake District was made for cycling, with everything from challenging off-road mountain biking routes to gentle country lanes on offer.
Location: Lake District, Cumbria
Stay in your very own hobbit hole in the Lake District
Escape on a budget break to the Quiet Site in Cumbria, a family-run site overlooking Ullswater in the north of the Lake District.
Location: Ullswater, Cumbria
