A recent renaissance has helped make Sheffield one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming travel destinations. A vibrant city centre is fringed by heritage industrial buildings and an atmosphere of urban chic, while the city’s surroundings deliver outstanding opportunities for hiking and outdoor adventure. Built on seven hills in South Yorkshire, Sheffield is quickly becoming an unmissable stop when visiting northern England.

Sheffield was the city of steel, and there are glorious buildings that date to its golden industrial era of the late 19th century. Many have been converted into museums and galleries, known as the Millennium Galleries, with the most poignant being the Metalwork Gallery. Graves Gallery contains many impressive artworks, and narrowboats can be taken along the canals of Victoria Quays, while the Winter Garden and Peace Gardens provide tranquillity in the city. At the heart of Sheffield is Tudor Square, where the Lyceum Theatre is the standout building in an impressive Victorian collection. The Peak District rises on Sheffield’s western boundary and is filled with hiking trails that lead across rustic hills and sheep-dappled fields.

Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport is a hub for low-cost carriers and operates various flights to East Coast USA, Spain, Italy, and Eastern Europe. From the airport, take the bus to Doncaster Train Station and change onto a Sheffield bound service. It’s a 35-minute drive from the airport to the city centre by taxi or car. There are direct trains from Sheffield to the larger Manchester Airport. Sheffield is famous for its tram system and three lines run to most places in the city. The city centre has been pedestrianised and is best seen on foot.

Sheffield has always had an edgy musical history, and there are many small venues across the city, where the next big band plays to audiences sipping on pints of pale ale. Among those that hail from Sheffield are Joe Cocker, the Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, the Human League, and Def Leppard.