Manchester: The Ideal Art and Culture UK Getaway

Anyone who loves art and culture is sure to love making their way through Manchester and its countless offerings. After all, the city is brimming with cultural attractions - from museum and art exhibits, to theatre and music performances.

If you're a fan of museums, head to Manchester's independent city centre gallery, Cube - offering an intriguing display of the city's architectural history. Or, visit the Manchester Museum - a particularly good museum to take children to. The Manchester Museum is home to over 6 million specimens and objects, ranging from a skeleton of a whale, to a 200 million-year-old tree fossil. It also offers hands-on opportunities for kids and adults alike, such as reconstructing dinosaur skeletons, or examining ancient mummies.

Another highlight includes the MoSI (Museum of Science and Industry), which is based in the oldest passenger railway building in the world. Aside from its fascinating setting, the MoSI features exhibitions, hands-on galleries, and historic working machinery for guests to marvel at.

Those who appreciate art shouldn't miss the galleries at The Lowry. Housing around 350 works by LS Lowry, the galleries shift exhibits regularly to display various genres of art. The Urbis - a gallery dedicated to urban life - is another must-see, exploring some of the world's greatest cities - including, of course, Manchester. The Touchstones Arts and Heritage Centre, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and Gallery Oldham are also big draws for art enthusiasts, with the latter also offering a mix of family events, adult arts and crafts courses, and live music programmes.

Finally, Manchester's lively performance art scene offers up spectacular drama, dance, comedy and musical performances. The Library Theatre Company is among the most popular theatre companies in the city, while the Opera House is one of the bigger venues hosting performance events. The Royal Exchange Theatre offers up something a little different, as it was once at the centre of the world's cotton trade. Of course, there are countless other venues that host performances - most of which you can find out about either online or through a Manchester city guide.

If you're thinking of heading to Manchester before summer is officially over, you'll want to look into flights and Manchester hotels as soon as possible. Summer is the busiest time for tourists in the city, so the sooner you make your bookings, the better. Tourist numbers should go down immediately following summer, but will go back up once the winter holidays start approaching.