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    Tourist Attractions in Glasgow

    The most interesting tourist attractions places in Glasgow. Photos and a brief description.

    Glasgow
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    About Glasgow

    Glasgow is better known as a major industrial and engineering center of Great Britain than a tourist city. However, it is not for nothing that the name “Glasgow” has its roots in the Gaelic “Glaschu”, which means “”green valley””. Indeed, the city is surrounded by parks and picturesque green spaces.

    Like any ancient Scottish city, Glasgow has several significant architectural monuments of the Middle Ages. But, nevertheless, the main construction was carried out during the industrial boom of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The authentic Merchant City district is a witness to the unprecedented rise of the urban economy in those days.

    A trip to Glasgow is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of Scotland, walk through the corridors of one of the oldest European universities and admire the slender features of the architectural style of Scottish Gothic.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Glasgow

    Merchant City District

    The district was formed by the second half of the XVIII century. Its territory was inhabited mainly by wealthy merchants, so it was considered prestigious already in those days. By 1970, the area had gradually fallen into disrepair. In the 80s, a decision was made on a large-scale reconstruction of Merchant City, since there were many buildings — historical monuments within its boundaries. Today it is a place of concentration of luxury housing, trendy restaurants and branded shops.

    Merchant City District
    Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum

    Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum

    The Art Museum, which is considered one of the most visited in Scotland. The building was erected at the beginning of the XX century in the Spanish Baroque style. The construction was timed to coincide with the opening of the 1901 International Exhibition in Glasgow. The museum's collection is based on paintings from the private collection of A. McLellan. The gallery has paintings by Titian, Botticelli, Rubens, Picasso, Rembrandt, Dali, as well as works by Scottish painters.

    Riverside Museum of Transportation

    The museum has an exhibition dedicated to the development of Glasgow's urban transport. There are bicycles, horse-drawn carts, buses, trams, cars and model trains. The museum collection consists of 3 thousand copies. There are even vintage racing cars among them. Next to the museum building on the River Clyde, the ship "Glenlee" is moored — a ship built in 1896, which was decommissioned in 1993.

    Riverside Museum of Transportation
    The Burrell Collection

    The Burrell Collection

    A collection of works of art that passed to the city from businessman W. Burrell in 1944. There are about 9 thousand exhibits in the collection, many of which are real pearls of the Renaissance. Burrell was an enthusiastic fan of art, during his life he managed to collect many objects belonging to different eras and countries. A separate building for the museum was erected in 1983.

    Gallery of Contemporary Art

    The museum is located in the former building of the Royal Exchange, erected in 1829. Until 1996, there was a library here. Large spaces of the gallery are reserved for temporary exhibitions, as its own collection is at the stage of active formation. In front of the museum there is an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington in the middle of the XIX century, which locals constantly decorate with a cap. It is not known where this "tradition" came from, but the authorities were unable to fight this form of mild vandalism.

    Gallery of Contemporary Art
    Glasgow Science Centre

    Glasgow Science Centre

    A modern museum with an interactive exposition, which is designed to demonstrate various scientific achievements. The collection is located on 3 floors, it includes more than 250 exhibits. Also on the territory of the Glasgow Science Center is the largest planetarium in the UK, an IMAX cinema and a 127-meter Glasgow tower with an observation deck and an exhibition center.

    People's Palace and Winter Garden

    The People's Palace is an architectural monument of the late XIX century. Previously, there was a public reading room. Nowadays, the city historical museum is located on its territory. Adjacent to the palace is a Winter Garden, where plants from all corners of the Earth are collected. Thanks to the special temperature regime that is maintained inside, exotic species can exist in their usual conditions.

    People's Palace and Winter Garden
    Botanical Garden

    Botanical Garden

    The city Botanical Garden opened two centuries ago. Since then, its natural diversity has increased quite a lot. The plant collection is so diverse and extensive that there are even specially grown species for sale in gardens all over the country. The architecture of the Glasgow Botanic Garden is also of considerable interest. The most elegant structure is the greenhouse "Kibble Palace", built at the expense of the merchant D. Kibble.

    A home for art lovers

    The complex was built in the period 1989-1996. It houses the educational center of the local art school and a digital design studio. The building was built according to the project of 1900, created by architects C.R. McIntosh and M. McDonald. They participated in a competition to build a special structure that would become a refuge for art lovers. The project was discovered by researcher G. Roxburg.

    A home for art lovers
    Royal Concert Hall

    Royal Concert Hall

    The stage is located in the center of Glasgow at the intersection of Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street. The hall is mainly used for opera and ballet productions. But there are also concerts of modern music, graduation balls and various celebrations. The building was erected in the period 1988-1990 by architect L. Martin. The hall accommodates about 2.5 thousand people. In addition to the concert stage, the complex has souvenir shops, cafes and an exhibition gallery.

    City Council Building

    A picturesque architectural monument of the XIX century, erected according to the project of U. Yang. The building is located on George Square, it is easy to get here from any part of the city. The building houses the Glasgow City Council, as well as a museum, an art gallery and a festive banquet hall for the reception of the royal family. Some of the interiors are made in a lush Italian style.

    City Council Building
    University of Glasgow

    University of Glasgow

    The largest university in Scotland, which is included in the list of leading educational institutions in the UK, as well as in the 1% of the best places to study in the world. The university was founded in 1451, its graduates are seven Nobel laureates. The institution owns an outstanding library, where rare works written in the Middle Ages and Renaissance are kept. Students from dozens of countries study at the university.

    Mitchell Library

    The Mitchell Library is one of the largest book collections in Europe. Its funds contain more than 1.3 million books, manuscripts, periodicals and maps. The library was founded in 1877 at the expense of tobacco magnate S. Mitchell. In 1911, a separate building was built for her, which later became the hallmark of Glasgow. Nowadays, the Mitchell Library is an extensive complex, including reading rooms, an electronic database, a cafe and a theater.

    Mitchell Library
    Glasgow School of Art

    Glasgow School of Art

    The Higher Drama School of Glasgow, founded in 1845. Painting, sculpture, photography, design, architecture and much more are taught here. The modern school building was erected in 1909 according to the project of C. R. Mackintosh, a talented architect and founder of the "Scottish Modern" style. The work on the construction of the Art School was the most outstanding achievement of the master.

    Provands-Lordship

    A historical building of the XV century, which was previously part of the St. Nicholas Infirmary complex. The hospital was closed after the victory of the Reformation, the building passed from owner to owner for a long time until it was turned into a museum. Inside there is an exposition that introduces the visitor to the life of a medieval Scottish city. Provands Lordship is considered to be the oldest civil building in Glasgow.

    Provands-Lordship
    Glasgow Cathedral

    Glasgow Cathedral

    The temple was built in the XII century on the site of the chapel of St. Mungo, the patron saint of the city. The cathedral building is built in the manner of "Scottish Gothic", which inherited some severity of architectural forms from the earlier Romanesque style. Inside the church is the tomb of St. Mungo, as well as the burials of members of the noble families of Glasgow. The cathedral has an atmosphere of the Middle Ages thanks to the preserved architectural appearance and interior decoration.

    St. Andrew 's Cathedral

    The church of the early XIX century, which is the main Catholic cathedral of Glasgow. The building is built in the Neo-Gothic style with characteristic openwork towers and colored stained glass windows located around the perimeter. The facade has reached our days unchanged, the interior space has been reconstructed more than once. On the facade there is a statue of the Apostle Andrew, who is considered the patron saint of Scotland.

    St. Andrew 's Cathedral
    Ibrox

    Ibrox

    The arena was built in 1899, it is one of the oldest stadiums in Scotland. Ibrox is the home ground of the Glasgow Rangers team, which has won the Scottish Premier League more than once. The capacity of the arena is more than 50 thousand spectators. The stadium became infamous due to several incidents related to a mass stampede in the 60s, as well as the 1971 tragedy (also related to the stampede), as a result of which 66 people died.

    Celtic Park

    The home arena of the Celtic football team, built at the end of the XIX century. Despite its rather advanced age, Celtic Park is a modern stadium, which is equipped with all the necessary equipment for large-scale matches. The arena is designed for 60 thousand spectators, which makes it the largest in the whole of Scotland. The last large-scale reconstruction was carried out in 1998.

    Celtic Park
    Clyde Arch Bridge

    Clyde Arch Bridge

    The bridge over the River Clyde, located near the Glasgow Science Centre. The structure was erected in 2006 according to the project of the architectural bureau "Edmund Nuttall", it quickly turned into a local landmark. The architecture of the bridge is quite original – the main span over the river is made in the form of an arc of a large radius, above which a high steel arch rises. Pedestrian and automobile traffic is open on the bridge.

    Titan Clydebank

    A huge 46-meter crane, which was created specifically for lifting heavy parts of ocean liners and warships. The design was created by John Brown & Co. and was used in its shipyards. With the help of "Titan Clydebank" mechanisms, the largest English ships of the XX century were built: "Queen Mary", "Queen Elizabeth" and "Queen Elizabeth II". Since 2007, the crane has been functioning as part of the Shipbuilding museum.

    Titan Clydebank
    Glasgow Necropolis

    Glasgow Necropolis

    A historical cemetery located near the cathedral. The necropolis is interesting because there are more than 3.5 thousand monuments installed here. Some of them are real works of art. On many tombstones, not only the dates of life are indicated, but also whole narratives about a person's life path are set out. There are quite a lot of graves and crypts in the cemetery at the beginning of the XIX century.

    Glasgow Green Park

    The park has existed since the XV century. It is located in the eastern part of the city on the banks of the River Clyde. For quite a long time there was just a public area where people grazed cattle, fished, washed and dried clothes. It was only by the beginning of the XIX century that attempts were made to improve the area. The park is decorated with a monument in honor of Admiral Nelson, a fountain and a complex of buildings of the People's Palace.

    Glasgow Green Park

    Pollock Park

    A vast natural area located within the city limits of Glasgow. The park has been repeatedly recognized as the best in Europe and the UK. Here you can ride a mountain bike, visit a stable or a farm. The main attraction of the park is Pollock House – the family estate of the Maxwell family, turned into a museum, in the funds of which a large number of works of Spanish art are stored.

    Loch Lomond and the Trossachs

    The National Park of Scotland, a popular place for outdoor activities. The area is characterized by incredibly picturesque landscapes. Here you can do rock climbing, cycling and water skiing, fishing and even play golf. Tourists who are inclined to a more relaxed pastime have the opportunity to pick mushrooms and berries or observe the life of wild animals.

    Loch Lomond and the Trossachs