Waterfront, Liverpool

The waterfront, which takes in the Albert Dock and the Pier Head, is an integral part of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Site – and is the best place to get a feel for the city’s former grandeur. It features The Three Graces, a trio of buildings that were designed to illustrate Liverpool‘s immense wealth, the Baroque Port of Liverpool Building and the iconic Royal Liver Building, topped with two its cormorant-like Liver Birds. The female is said to look out over the sea for returning sailors, while the male looks over the city, to check the pubs are still open.

The Albert Dock right on the water boasts the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the UK and is home to numerous shops, restaurants and hotels in its red brick warehouses – as well as Tate Liverpool. This superb gallery is not a lone cultural highlight here, however; the waterfront also features the Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum, the Museum of Liverpool and Open Eye Gallery, a small photography gallery with a big reputation.

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