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Taking A Cultural Vacation In Glasgow
By Karl Fraser | October 18, 2009
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and also the most popular vacation destination in the nation an many tourists fail to see the enormous benefit of visiting the nearby city of Glasgow.
Glasgow is a lively and vibrant city attracting more and more visitors annually. While most folk visit to enjoy the vibrant nightlife that the city offers more people are becoming aware of the many artistic and cultural elements of this fascinating city. Below I introduce the reader to three such places to visit in Glasgow.
The Mackintosh House: The Mackintosh House is a central feature of the University of Glasgow’s, Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery. The Mackintosh House is a modern concrete building, part of the gallery/library complex, which stands on the site of one of two rows of terraced houses, that were demolished in the 1960s to make room for the University’s expansion. One of the buildings lost, was 78 Southpark Avenue (formerly 6 Florentine Terrace), home of the Mackintoshes from 1906 to 1914. As much as possible was salvaged of the original fittings, and put into storage, to enable the future reassembly of the hall, dining room, studio, drawing room, and bedroom. The University rebuilt the form of the house comprising the reassembled interiors.
The Hill House: The Hill House was designed and built for the publisher, Walter Blackie and his family, in 1902-1904. The house nestles high above the Clyde Estuary, in the picturesque Victorian town of Helensburgh, about 30 minutes drive from Glasgow, close to Loch Lomond. The Hill House is considered to be one of Charles Rennie Mackintoshs finest examples of domestic architecture, and most famous works of art, second only to Glasgow School of Art. Mackintosh also designed most of the interior rooms, furniture and other fixtures and fittings. Mackintoshs wife, Margaret Macdonald played an integral part in the lavish project and produced the fabric designs and a customised panel spanning the fireplace in the drawing room.
The Museum of Transport: The Glasgow Museum of Transport Technology is located in the Kelvin Hall, opposite the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End of Glasgow City. Kelvin Hall was built in 1927, and originally used as an exhibition centre. In 1987 the use was converted to house the Museum of Transport and the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena. It one of the most popular museums of transport in the UK attracting 500,000 visitors a year. The museum houses many exhibits of national and international importance. All forms of transport are featured, from horse-drawn vehicles to fire engines, from motorcycles to caravans, even toy cars and prams.
This is only three of the many, many places in Glasgow to visit if you are in need of cultural stimulation. I hope that this article will inspire you to consider having a city break in Glasgow soon. If you do please be aware that it is often difficult finding available rooms in the many hotels and guest houses so book early to be certain that you get somewhere suitable. Remember that you can see much of the city in a single weekend so Glasgow and Edinburgh are highly suitable for a dual destination vacation.
Looking to find the best deal on hotels in Glasgow, then visit Karl Fraser’s site to find the most comprehensive listings of Glasgow hotels for you.
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