Stay at home: Hull
The 2017 City of Culture is living up to its billing, with great art, architecture and ale around every corner
Statue and The Maritime Museum Queen Victoria Square Kingston upon Hull East Yorkshire England
What to do
As any local will tell you, Hull has managed to squeeze several atmospheric pubs into its Old Town. Linked up via the Hull Ale Trail, most notable are Ye Olde Black Boy and Ye Olde White Harte (infamous for its role in the English Civil War and the human skull it displays).
Where to eat
In a waterfront location, 1884 Dock Street Kitchen is a good bet for a memorable first taste of Hull, while sister restaurant, 1884 Wine and Tapas, is an exciting new addition.
Where to stay
Hull has more than its fair share of reasonably priced chain hotels, the pick of which are the cosy Mercure Hull Royal Hotel and the loftyHoliday Inn Hull Marina. The latter is worth visiting for both its views and its proximity to The Deep, the Old Town and the popular high-tech Scale Lane Bridge.
hotels-hull.co.uk
We like
While the headlines have been grabbed by the 75-metre wind turbine blade sculpture in Queen Victoria Square, the revamp of the Ferens Art Gallery is perhaps of more lasting value. Its £5m upgrade means it's now able to host major touring exhibitions, housing loaned artwork such as Francis Bacon's 'Screaming Popes' (pictured). This year, it'll also be home to the Turner Prize.
hull2017.co.uk
Don't miss
The opening of The Deep in 2002 was Hull's Guggenheim moment. home to around 3,500 fish, the striking aquarium is among the world's best.
Published in the April 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)