Bradford

Name of City: Bradford Country: Yorkshire Population: 497,400 (as of 2007)

Bradford is a stunning city with full of surprises. Lately titled as UNESCO City of Film, the city is a booming cultural destination with lots of events, impressive theatres, award winning galleries and museums.

The old-Victorian buildings located throughout Bradford shows the impressive past of the city and include the place known as the Wool Exchange and Little Germany. Another place not to be missed is the Bradford Cathedral, the place of worship in the city for centuries, a haven of tranquillity located in the city centre.
The neighbouring area of the city centre also has many to offer such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Saltaire, an excellent intact Victorian village also the home of Salts Mill. Superb countryside can be enjoyed near Haworth Village, the former home of the Bront? Parsoange Museum and the Bront?s. Bradford is also surrounded with beautiful countryside.

Crowned as Curry Capital in 2004, restaurants in Bradford have good reputation for exceptional Asian cuisine. Nevertheless, the city has many to offer to suit every tourist appetites, with various restaurants serving different cuisines. Also, there are great bars and cosy pubs located in the city centre. Bar T'at in Ilkley and Fanny's Ale and Cider House are two of the pubs within the city serving the local real ale. Tourists can also buy fresh Yorkshire products at any markets in the city district. One of the most famous venue in the city is the Love Apple Caf? is a club restaurant, and bar providing great entertainment with best gigs.

Shopping in the city centre provides nonstop opportunity to spend, spend, and spend. Asian stores in Bradford are one of the shopping highlights in the city, known for astounding array of saris, jewellery, hand-embroidered shoes and fabrics. Bombay Stores are the most famous Asian stores in the city and one of the biggest of its kind in Yorkshire. Also, the Haworth's Main Street is an excellent place to buy for collectables, antiques and gifts. The famous House of Rose & Brown has full of vintage jewellery, accessories, clothing, collectable and furniture.

No matter what interest one's have, for sure there is an event in the city to perk their interest. Throughout the whole months of summer there are lots of events going on such as the Ilkley Literature Festival, the Bradford Mela, Bradford city centre events and the Bingley Show. The city is also famous for its three film festivals the Bradford Animation Festival (happening every November); Bite the Mango (held every September) and the Bradford Film Festival (held during March). Other highlights events include the Saltaire Festival, the Ilkley Summer Festival, and the Christmas events held in Haworth.

Accommodation in and around in Bradford offers comfort, excellent services and great value to suit the budget. Best accommodation in the city centre includes Midland Hotel Bradford, the Hilton Bradford and the Great Victoria. Accommodations in the village of Haworth are also of a first-rate standard, with abundance of self-catering cottages and B&Bs.

Being in the heart of UK, getting in Bradford by road is not a hassle since Bradford is well-linked to the motorway network. The city also has two train stations: Bradford Forster Square and Bradford Interchange that link inter-city and provides local services, as well as regular services to London.