Lancashire's Blackpool is by all accounts considered to be almost the most famous seaside resort in Britain. It was in this Las Vegas, as the British themselves call it, that electricity was first installed, and there an electric tram appeared among the first cities in the world. Actually, the tram still runs in the city, and this is another unique feature of Blackpool: you will not find this type of transport anywhere else in the United Kingdom. After all, Jaguar (car) was invented here, the Eiffel Tower was built, and they know how to make a magical holiday out of ordinary light bulbs.
The easiest way is by train from London (Victoria station) with a transfer in Preston to Blackpool-North or Blackpool-South stations. The city is stretched along the coast, so the choice of station matters in the sense of distance. Blackpool also has an international airport (with Squires Gate station).
Despite the fact that Blackpool stands by the sea, there is no port here. So there are no port smells, noise, dirt, industrial environment and the corresponding contingent. At the beginning of the 19th century, the privileged class chose Blackpool as a place for pleasant leisure - which the city remains to this day. The only subtlety: there is no peace and quiet here and in the passing. Everyone is having fun and having fun in Blackpool.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SIGHTS
For those who came to have fun and want to try something new every day, the city has more than enough opportunities to make the whole week rich and full of impressions - and that's the bare minimum. Judge for yourself: the family water park "Sandcastle", the largest indoor one in the country, and the green Stanley Park, where you can lie in the grass and ride a boat. George Bancroft Park with a 20m climbing wall, go-kart centre, conservatory with constant outdoor activities. Madame Tussauds local gallery, sea aquarium, zoo. Solarium Center, which demonstrates the transformation of solar energy, a landscaped garden village with more than 100 hand-assembled models of various buildings. The bravest can even try their hand at small aviation (the place of deployment is the port).
The first thing you can't help but pay attention to in Blackpool is the promenade along the sea. There are many points of interest for almost twenty kilometers, small hotels, bars and cafes are open, and in the evening the promenade is flooded with electric light. And in the morning, dog walkers and joggers walk along the sandy strip exposed by the low tide to the water. Three piers on the promenade: southern, northern and central - form three centers where the most lively establishments are concentrated, including slot machines and children's carousels.
It would seem that what is the point of the Eiffel Tower in the English city? In fact, the tower in Blackpool is very different from the Paris prototype, although there are some similarities. You can climb to the top of the tower by elevator, during which you will look around the surroundings through the glass walls for about one minute. There are three observation decks at the top, two of which are outdoors. Standing on the lowest of the three, you can see through the glass floor what is going on below.
A particular attraction of the city, closely associated with the Promenade, is the Blackpool Tramway. Its paths run right along the central street of the city. A ride on the tram is part of the mandatory tourist program: in addition to its unique status as the only one in the country, some of the warehouses are also decorated with a lot of imagination. On the outside, they are stylized as a ship with two decks, and in the dark, they shine with bright multi-colored bulbs.
To explore other destinations besides the promenade, Blackpool has a well-developed bus network, and the buses are also double-decker.
Blackpool Theme Park is unlike many of the typical resort-style holiday parks commonly found in seaside towns. Here, in the Pleasure Beach, is one of the largest roller coasters in the world - "Pepsi-Max". And right there you can ride on her great-great-grandmother of a hundred years old, with fabric-upholstered benches, extremely old-looking trolleys and an almost complete absence of an exciting effect (but with a full presence of a moving one). "Grandma" underwent a thorough restoration, so it is quite safe to get to know her.
The theme park has a dedicated Blackpool Pleasure Beach train station, so if you're heading there, get on it.
Since Blackpool is a city for recreation and entertainment, tourists should pay attention not so much to what is here in itself, but to what is happening here. And a lot of interesting things happen in Blackpool every year. First of all, this is a famous dance festival, the largest and most famous in the world. The program includes solo performances, pair dances, team dances and freestyle. The festival has been held in October since 2014. - in the luxurious Imperial Ballroom in the winter garden. In the summer, the same-sex partner dance championship is held there. Also in mid-summer, the hall hosts an international darts championship.
In 2004 started the first season of the BBC series "Blackpool" with songs, dances and a cleverly twisted intrigue. In Russia, the series went almost unnoticed, but at home it received very high ratings.
The Blackpool Opera House was opened in 1939. and holds up to 3,000 spectators, making it one of the largest in the UK; a variety of musical events and performances take place here all year round. In the winter garden several times a year (in mid-summer and autumn) a fair of handmade products and vintage items is held. At the end of summer, at the rebel festival, you can see a huge number of tattooed people with piercings and provocative hairstyles. At the beginning of summer, the city hosts a Pride parade under the rainbow flag. Also, in the summer, you can visit the air show for free, which lasts for two days, or watch the luxurious fireworks launch championship, where teams from different countries compete over several days.
Well, a special entertainment, which alone would be enough for the shrouded city - the pioneer of Blackpool electrification - to receive lasting fame and attract tourists here, is the annual illumination festival at the end of summer. At other times of the year, you can come to Illuminasia, the largest indoor light park in the world with several themed zones and a mesmerizing fairy-tale atmosphere. Children will be delighted, and adults too - if they allow themselves to admit it.
