Fly from Nice to Birmingham

Birmingham is a city of happy contradictions! It is a modern, dynamic city that has gone from coal-fired machines to high-tech in the space of two centuries. Its architecture bears witness to this: old brick workshops rub up against glass and steel towers. But at the same time, England's second largest city cultivates a very "natural" vibe with its 3,500 hectares of greenery and six million trees. It is home to the largest public park in Europe as well as two botanical gardens.
Birmingham is a destination full of culture. Its museums are a testimony to ancestral traditions and know-how. Its walls showcase street art. Its library, the largest in the country, is the keeper of knowledge. Its art galleries feature contemporary art, and every summer its most famous festival takes jazz to new heights. But the home town of the famous Peaky Blinders - a fact that won’t have escaped fans of the TV series - also cultivates a playful atmosphere. You’ll get a unique shopping experience. You can indulge in street food, from exotic cuisine to flavours from your childhood enhanced by their famous chocolate. You can dance till the wee hours to live music or on the dance floor.

• Take a stroll or cycle along the city’s canals. It has a total of 56 kilometres of them. More than Venice. A ramble full of surprises, of picturesque places to eat and shop, where you can have a rest or treat yourself. Another option is a boat tour.
• Revamp your wardrobe, splurge on trinkets, find a diamond in the rough and make the most of the best shopping the UK has to offer. Places to check out: the Bull Ring (a giant mall in the city centre), the jewellery district, the Great Western Arcade, and the chic and designer stores of Mailbox.
• Breathe in the fragrance of old England on your way to Victoria Square. What you’ll see: pedestrian-only streets along with historical monuments and culture at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the city's largest (free) museum.
• Try to resist (or not!) the temptations of the stores, restaurants and pubs of Colmore Row, one of the trendiest areas in the city, where you can also visit St. Philip's Cathedral, a baroque beauty famous for its stained glass windows.
• Head into “The Library of Birmingham”, the public library. It makes libraries cool again with its fabulous terraces which are open to the public, its Shakespeare museum, its private viewing booths dedicated to silent films, its incredible collections of children's books, greeting cards, photos and more.
• Take in the sights in the streets of Digbeth, Birmingham's street art and party district. These include the Digbeth Graffiti Art Walk, a dedicated four-kilometre route that you can download off the internet.
• Forget your swimsuit body for a moment and treat yourself to the most famous of English chocolates: Cadbury. The inventor of the “Finger” created Cadbury World, a chocolate factory/museum where you can uncover all the secrets of chocolate, make your own and, most importantly, eat it!
• Go see a Premier League match. You can choose between Aston Villa, the city’s top club, or those of nearby cities: Leicester and Wolverhampton. It’s up to you to choose the match that looks best!
• Take a trip to Birmingham's neighbour Coventry and visit, among other things, the Coventry Transport Museum, a British motor museum. Hundreds of vehicles, including the Thrust2, one of the fastest cars in history - 1,019.47 km/h - powered by a jet engine!
• Explore Leicester, one of Birmingham's friendliest neighbours. Its major attraction: the National Space Centre, which offers an incredible journey into space with its giant planetarium, rockets, simulators and interactive activities and more.