Nestled among acres of beautiful parkland in South Liverpool’s Calderstones Park, the Grade II listed Mansion House is a unique public space offering experiences that bring people together through literature. The park itself takes its name from a group of six ancient stones, said to be older then Stonehenge, which today can be visited in a specially designed new home. Botanical treats are to be found in the park, which boasts spectacular borders as well as walled gardens – be sure to visit the Japanese Garden to see the Acers. Kids will be happy with the playground, while their parents can look forward to a great meal at the restaurants on the nearby Allerton Road. In a city full of parks, Calderstones has a local reputation of being one of the very best.

Heading North out of Liverpool’s city centre, leaving behind the Business District and the Pier Head, will set you on course for the Stanley Dock. Lesser known than the city centre Albert Dock, the Stanley Dock gives a truer sense of the industrial past of the city. A walk around Stanley Dock will take in many of Liverpool’s fascinating contradictions and cultures: from music to football, and from old to new. This rapidly changing part of the city is a case study in the urban change in Liverpool.

This has got to be Liverpool’s most iconic walking spot, and will be the go-to sight for anyone interested in Liverpool’s historic architecture. The river-front Pier Head has a collection of Liverpool’s most famous buildings, including Royal The Liver Building, The Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building – aka The Three Graces. The Pier Head was the focal point of economic life of the city when Liverpool was the second city of the British Empire; its origins are entangled with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade which is inseparable from the history of Liverpool. Walking at The Pier Head shows the majesty of Liverpool, and the suffering on which it was built.

This Grade II listed park is a great family day out, and seems to transport you far further than the 20 minute drive from the city centre. At its centre is the regal Croxteth Hall, the former country estate and ancestral home of the Earls of Sefton. The Hall sits in the middle of 500 acres of stunning woodlands, pastures, ponds, and streams and walks are clearly marked out to guide you through its networks of paths and trails. Kids love a visit to Croxteth Park Farm which offers the chance to get inside a traditional, working Victorian farm. Croxteth Hall and Country Park is a slice of the countryside just a stones throw from the city centre.

Of all the parks in Liverpool, Sefton is arguably the best known and most loved of them all. And it’s not just Liverpudlians that think it’s special—English Heritage have classified it in their highest category, Grade One. What makes Sefton Park unique is the feeling of being properly back-to-nature. The curving paths, streams, stepping stones and caves seem part of a natural landscape. A walk round Sefton Park can be topped off with a trip to the bars and restaurants of Lark Lane, or, for those wanting to continue the walk, Princes Park is over the road with a charm all of its own. This neighbourhood is unrivalled in the city for the walking options in its public parks.

Stanley Park is the only park in the country to divide the home ground of two Premier League football club. To the south is Anfield, home of Liverpool Football Club and to the north sits Goodison Park, home of Everton Football Club. Football isn’t the only thing this park has to offer, however. Its 110 acres of expansive green spaces sits two miles north-east of the city centre and features an ornamental pond, fishing lake and a play area. Walking around this northern part of the city, particularly on match day, will show you a vital and lively part of Liverpool’s character.

The vast, neo-Gothic Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is one of the best sites from which to see Liverpool. From its 331 foot-tall tower, the city, river and North Wales hills are laid out below. Liverpool Cathedral doesn’t fail to create a sense of wonder, the vast internal spaces, many with soaring vaulted ceilings, unified by the carefully-designed furniture and fittings. The Anglican Cathedral sits on one end of the famous Hope Street, and it is well worth a walk down the street to visit the Metropolitan Cathedral at the other end – a fascinating architectural comparison to the Anglican.

Whatever the time of year there is no shortage of adventure at Speke Hall Garden and Estate where you can learn about the turbulent history of the iconic black and white Speke Hall. Surrounded by tranquil gardens and semi-ancient woodland, it’s a slice of the past in urban South Liverpool. Speke Hall makes an ideal stopping point when travelling into or out of Liverpool. Perfectly situated eight miles out of the Liverpool city centre, Speke Hall Gardens and Estate is close to excellent motorway links – perfect if you want to round off the hustle and bustle of a day in Liverpool with a look around this breath-taking Tudor estate.

Liverpool and Birkenhead are separated by the River Mersey  and can be crossed by car, bus, or the famous ‘Ferry Across the Mersey.’ On arriving in Birkenhead, a great port of call is the Birkenhead Priory – the oldest standing building in Merseyside. The Priory was founded way back in 1150 for the Benedictine Order, and today it stands in a remarkedly good shape. In recent years Birkenhead Priory has been animated with contemporary culture, from photography exhibition to music festivals. Even without these events drawing the crowds, a walk round Birkenhead Priory is charged with history and the enduring romance of ruins.

Liverpool is a windy city, and this walk along the shore of the River Mersey is one of the most bracing and invigorating walks it has to offer. The Otterspool Promenade (or ‘The Prom’) and its neighbouring parkland start in Aigburth and follow the course of the river. The neighbouring parkland and Promenade together offer a good couple of hours of exploring, or for a proper stretch of the legs, a 4.9 mile walk begins at the Southern tip of the Promenade and links up with a narrower walkway and cycle route that follows the bank of the River Mersey all the way into the city centre. Be prepared for this walk to take around two hours or more—and don’t underestimate the force of the Mersey’s winds!