Leicester

A thoroughly multi-cultural city, Leicester has attractions for people of all nationalities and tastes. A Caribbean Carnival, huge Diwali festival, Leicester Pride, and an international film festival are among the annual performances which entertain visitors, along with the UKs largest comedy festival.

If visitors are of a sporting bent, the 2008 European City of Sport has a huge variety of games to either watch or partake in. Alongside football, cricket, rugby and the horse racing scene, motorcycle speedway and cycling are big local sports; cycling taking place on tracks and on the road. Leicester has a huge interest in cycling, with many national tracks passing through the city, and the largest bicycle parking area in the UK.

 

The Grand Union Canal and River Soar are also a major attraction, rambling and horse-riding take place along the banks of both waterways, angling is popular here, and cruises in narrow-boats along the river are a wonderful way to spend a few days. Watermead Country Park lies near the two and has many lakes which are also a focus for tourists seeking water-based enjoyment. Back on dry land the National Space Centre offers a wonderful collection including a Soyuz Spacecraft and a planetarium.

National Space Centre, Exploration Drive, Leicester LE4 5NS (0845) 605 2001
Housed in a futuristic rocket tower, the National Space Centre is the UK’s largest attraction dedicated to space.

Containing six galleries and a 360° planetarium, the museum also tells the story of the lunar landings through its ‘Project Apollo’ exhibition; an interactive feature dedicated to the space race of the 1960s.

National Gas Museum, 195 Aylestone Road, Leicester LE2 7QH (01162) 503190
Not content with celebrating space, Leicester also celebrates the history of manmade and natural gas and the way it has shaped the world.

Housed in a former Victorian gasworks, the museum now holds the world’s largest collection of gas-related objects, including old appliances, a 1920s kitchen and a Victorian boardroom.