Weekend breaks in Glasgow: cultural fun for all

Recently voted the most dangerous city in Western Europe, many people may have a largely negative view of Glasgow as a tourist destination. However, since achieving the status of European Capital of Culture in 1990, it has developed a wide range of cultural activities for visitors to enjoy, from sports like football and curling. to opera and art appreciation. As the largest city in Scotland - the population of Greater Glasgow exceeds 1 million people - its attractions are diverse and eclectic, and the city is a perfect destination for people wanting to enjoy a highly cultural weekend break in Scotland.

While Edinburgh is known as the festival capital of Scotland for the variety of festivals that take place in August, Glasgow's festivals have the benefit of being spread across the entire calendar - so visitors to the city are sure to enjoy at least one of Glasgow's cultural festivals whatever time of year they visit. Glasgow's festivals include the Glasgow Comedy Festival, Celtic Connections, the Glasgow Film Festival and most recently, Glasgay!, a festival celebrating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender arts.

The theatre scene in Glasgow is also buzzing throughout the year, with a range of old and modern theatres, such as the Kings Theatre, the Tron and the Citizens Theatre. One of Glasgow's most dynamic venues is The Arches, a multi-purpose venue which first opened in 1991. As a bar, arts venue, theatre, live music venue and nightclub, The Arches combines a variety of entertainment to provide both residents and visitors to Glasgow with an excellent arts and music centre. Centrally located underneath Glasgow Central Station, the Arches should be an essential place to visit on any weekend break to Glasgow.

In fact, Glasgow's entire live music scene is always bursting with energy. Some of the city's main venues include the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the SECC, the Barrowlands and King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, where Oasis were first spotted and signed many years ago. Some of Britain's most famous musical stars hail from Glasgow, including the Fratellis, Franz Ferdinand, Travis, Mogwai and Wet Wet Wet.

Glasgow even offers a host of galleries and museums. The renowned Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, for example, recently underwent restoration, and has now reopened to the public. Other galleries include the Burrell Collection and the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow (or GoMA), which is the most visited contemporary art gallery in the United Kingdom, outside London. Glasgow is evidently one of Europe's most cultural cities, and a perfect place for people to visit, whether just at the weekend or for a prolonged period of time. With more and more people taking weekend breaks, many hotels, such as the Hilton, offer special weekend break packages, so you can enjoy all the delights of Scotland's premier city without busting your bank account.