Oct/090
Cultural Glasgow Vacations
Edinburgh many be Scotland's capital, and it may also be Scotland's number one vacation destination but the sad fact is that many of the annual visitors to this fine city are missing the opportunity of visiting the fantastic nearby city of Glasgow.
Glasgow is a lively and vibrant city attracting more and more visitors annually. While most folk visit to enjoy the vibrant nightlife that the city offers more people are becoming aware of the many artistic and cultural elements of this fascinating city. Below I introduce the reader to three such places to visit in Glasgow.
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum: The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is Glasgow and Scotland's premier museum and art gallery, and home to one of Europe's great civic art collections. It has also been voted one of the most popular free visitor attractions in Scotland. You will find Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Argyle Street, in the West End of Glasgow, on the banks of the River Kelvin. The gallery was built in a Spanish Baroque style following the Glaswegian tradition of using red sandstone. The building was designed by Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen, and opened in 1901. The museum's collections were originally from the McLellan Galleries and the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park.
The Willow Tea Rooms: It was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who designed the world famous Willow Tea Rooms, in Glasgow. The tea rooms were a collaboration between Mackintosh and Catherine Cranston, a local business woman, whose father was a Glasgow tea merchant. The tea rooms were located in Sauchiehall Street, and opened for business in October 1903. The name for the tea rooms was derived from Sauchiehall; 'saugh', being the Scots word for a willow tree, and 'haugh', the Scot's word for meadow. The tea rooms were the only building where Mackintosh had complete control over every aspect of the design. Mackintosh designed the exterior, all the interior decorations, the waitresses' uniform, furniture, cutlery, and even the menus.
The Museum of Transport: The Glasgow Museum of Transport Technology is located in the Kelvin Hall, opposite the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End of Glasgow City. Kelvin Hall was built in 1927, and originally used as an exhibition centre. In 1987 the use was converted to house the Museum of Transport and the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena. It one of the most popular museums of transport in the UK attracting 500,000 visitors a year. The museum houses many exhibits of national and international importance. All forms of transport are featured, from horse-drawn vehicles to fire engines, from motorcycles to caravans, even toy cars and prams.
This is only three of the many, many places in Glasgow to visit if you are in need of cultural stimulation. I hope that this article will inspire you to consider having a city break in Glasgow soon. If you do please be aware that it is often difficult finding available rooms in the many hotels and guest houses so book early to be certain that you get somewhere suitable. Remember that you can see much of the city in a single weekend so Glasgow and Edinburgh are highly suitable for a dual destination vacation.
Want to find out more about hotels in Glasgow, then visit Karl Fraser's site which has the most comprehensive listings of Glasgow hotels.