Glasgow: A City at the Heart of World Culture

Glasgow comes with high recommendations. Winner of the European city of Culture in 1990, Glasgow is at the epicentre of Scottish and world culture. From noble beginnings in the medieval period to a world centre for shipbuilding and trade in the industrial period, the city of Glasgow has gone from strength to strength, today sitting proud on the Clyde as one of Europe’s most popular cities.

If you visit Glasgow today, expect to find a successful cosmopolitan city, with a proud Scottish heritage and fiery Celtic culture. As one of Europe’s top 20 financial centres, and Scotland’s largest city, the city of Glasgow is a major player in Scottish politics and commerce, and a very important European city.

With much of Glasgow’s growth rooted in the Victorian era, it comes as no surprise that there are a number of beautiful Victorian buildings dotted throughout the city. So when visiting Glasgow, some of the most attractive buildings that are worth taking a look at include the Glasgow City Chambers, the main building of the University of Glasgow and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, which all date from the Victorian period.

Although much of the architecture is Victorian, Glasgow has also been at the forefront of the Art Nouveau movement in the UK. Leading this movement was Glaswegian designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh who today is mostly famed for his contemporary jewellery designs. Designer of the Glasgow School of Art and the Queen’s Cross Church, Mackintosh’s designs had a very large impact on the city of Glasgow, with his buildings playing a huge part in Glasgow winning the City of Architecture and Design award in 1999.

But if there’s one thing that Glasgow is known for it’s football. The city has three professional football clubs, the most famous being Celtic and Rangers. Football has a strong history within the city, the two sides famous for their rivalries and die-hard fans.

After football, Glasgow is known for having a thriving music scene. Throughout the city, a large number of Scotland’s most famous live music pubs, clubs and venues can be found. Some of the most popular venues include the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the SECC and the King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, which is famed for being the venue where British pop sensations Oasis were discovered.

Thanks to the growth of the internet, flights to Glasgow have become more affordable within the last few years and this has attracted a large number of tourists from around the world. But, this is perhaps not too surprising; with a unique and colourful history to discover, Glasgow has a character unlike any other British city. And as one of Europe’s main cities, you will find that there’s always plenty to see and do.
—
The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.