Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and is situated in the western lowlands. It is well known for its Victorian buildings and rich shipbuilding heritage. Glasgow is a lovely cultural city with galleries and museums to enjoy. For those who prefer, there is good food and shopping too. The prettiest part for a stroll is the West End which has plenty of antique shops, bars, and restaurants. There is always plenty to do in Glasgow, especially as it has two football teams to support and during December, the city has a really good Christmas market.

 

1. Glasgow Cathedral

 

The cathedral dates from 1197 and is an impressive gothic building that stands close to the city center. Unlike many other large cathedrals, Glasgow Cathedral is in excellent condition. The cathedral has one of the largest collections of post-war stained glass windows.

 

Many of its visitors like to visit its adjacent necropolis (graveyard). The necropolis is one of the most significant graveyards in Europe and covers 37 acres of land. The necropolis is modeled on the French style and has 50,000 monuments. The way to the entrance is over the Bridge of Sighs.  There is a two hour guided walk that leaves from the bridge and reveals the headstones of some of the famous people who are buried there.

 

2. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum

 

This is Glasgow’s most popular attraction and is situated in the city’s West End. Distinctly built in red sandstone in the Spanish baroque style, there are 22 themed galleries to explore housing 8,000 exhibits. There is an extensive art gallery with its most famous work being Salvador Dali’s ‘Christ of St. John of the Cross’. There is a spitfire suspended from the ceiling in the West Court and in another gallery there is a display of spooky heads suspended from the ceiling. There are plenty of dinosaur exhibits too. Entrance to the gallery is free.

 

3. Glasgow Flea Market

 

Situated in Barras Market (also known as Barrowland), this is the perfect place to browse and unearth some bargains! There are antiques, items of vintage fashion, old books, vinyl records and pieces of old and retro furniture – great fun!

 

4. The Science Centre

 

This large silver domed building looks quite sci-fi and inside there are plenty of interactive activities, a planetarium, gallery, and cinema. For a great view of the city, there is a revolving observation tower, 417 feet off the ground.

 

5. Drygate Brewery

 

Whilst Scotland’s favorite tipple is whiskey (scotch) a good beer comes a close second!

 

Drygate Brewery has been in operation for 21 years and certainly makes a range of fine beers. There are 26 different beers to sample and a total of 200 beers to buy.

 

Likely, you might well be tempted to enjoy a drink in a pub during your stay in the city and The Horseshoe is a great place with plenty of character and a good selection of local whiskeys. The bar was built in the mid 19^th century and has the longest island bar in Britain.

 

6. The Riverside Museum

 

If you love classic cars then this is the place for you! Along with cars, there are many old vehicles including ambulances, police cars and beautiful horse-drawn carriages as well as steam locomotives and model ships. The entrance to the museum is impressive as it is marked by a three-masted Victorian sailing ship.

 

7. Pollok Country Park

 

Situated just ten minutes from the city center, the country park is a lovely green area spanning 360 acres. The park has won numerous awards including ‘Best Park in Britain’ and ‘Best Park in Europe’. There are numerous nature trails and a riverside walk to enjoy and the chance to see animals such as Highland cattle and Clydesdale horses.

 

8. The Clyde river cruise

 

Taking a 90-minute river cruise is a fun way to discover the city’s shipbuilding heritage and to see how the bridges criss-cross the river Clyde. It is also a good way to see the Victorian houses that line the waterfront.

 

9. Oràn Mór

 

Whilst Edinburgh is famous for its International Arts Festival, Glaswegians congregate here to enjoy some great music over a ‘pie and a pint’. Oràn Mór is a refurbished Victorian church with a pub restaurant, with a performance area for plays written by Scottish writers and others.

 

10. Escape Glasgow

 

Built in 2014, this was one of the first games of its kind. There are five different rooms that are full of wizardry and demand good detective skills and plenty of logic to unravel the codes and find the keys to break out! These interactive games are particularly good fun if there is a group of you.