Until recently, the name Manchester was synonymous with a huge, somewhat declining industrial city in which little is happening. Meanwhile, the beginning of the 21st century brought completely new stimuli to this place and caused it to transform into a vibrant center not only of modern technologies and science, but also of culture.
The face of Manchester has changed in recent years like a kaleidoscope. Neglected and abandoned warehouses and factory halls disappear from the city center. Some of them are transformed into public facilities, such as the Museum of Science and Industry or the handicraft center, others are demolished to make room for modern buildings. Between them is the tiny, historic center with a gothic cathedral and several old pubs, as well as the neo-Gothic town hall and the nearby neoclassical, monumental Reynolds Library hidden between the canals.
Manchester becomes a real museum mecca in front of the tourists visiting it. A modern Imprial War Museum was opened in the renovated docks, the innovative Manchester Museum operates in the university buildings, and a futuristic edifice of the Football Museum has sprung up in the vicinity of the Cathedral Square. The city can also be treated as a good base for the nearby Peak District with heaths, wild hills and glacial lakes.
