Things to do in Liverpool

Liverpool faces the Irish Sea, not the Channel, and it was built for the Atlantic. Ships from here worked the Americas for two centuries. The docks that handled them still shape the waterfront.

The waterfront

The dock system is the reason the city exists. Albert Dock opened in 1846, built of iron, brick and stone with no structural timber. Pier Head stands just north of it.

• The Three Graces — the Royal Liver Building of 1911, the Cunard, the Port of Liverpool.
• Albert Dock — warehouses turned into museums, restaurants and the Beatles collection.
• The Mersey ferry — the round trip out of Pier Head, and the cheapest view of the skyline.
• William Brown Street — the World Museum, the Walker gallery and the library.
• The two cathedrals — Britain's largest at one end of Hope Street, a concrete crown at the other.

The waterfront was a World Heritage Site from 2004 and lost the listing in 2021, after new building on the docks. Liverpool was only the third place ever struck off. The buildings are all still standing.

The Beatles trail

Four addresses carry most of it, spread across the city.

• Mathew Street — the rebuilt Cavern, and the pubs that grew up around it.
• Penny Lane — a suburban street south of the centre, with the barber and the shelter.
• Strawberry Field — Salvation Army grounds behind the famous red gate.
• The childhood homes — Mendips and Forthlin Road, out in Woolton and Allerton.

The walks sold here are mostly self-guided. You download a route, follow clues on foot, and pay a few pounds. Guided groups exist, but the city is small enough to do alone.

Practical

• Weather. Mild and windy, rain in any month, summer highs near 19C. The wind comes straight off the Irish Sea.
• Distances. The centre, the docks and William Brown Street sit within a mile of each other. Penny Lane and Woolton need a bus.
• Museums. The national and city collections charge nothing for permanent displays.
• Mathew Street. Busy from Friday afternoon and loud by evening. Mornings are when it reads as a street.
• Evenings. The Baltic Triangle and Bold Street carry the newer bars, away from the Cavern crowd.
• Booking ahead. The childhood homes run small timed tours and sell out well in advance.