Leeds: A city travel guide to this Northern gem

When one first touches upon a trip to the UK, it would be fair to say that Leeds doesn’t often grab the headlines. Sure, it is one of the larger cities that the country has to offer – but based in the North of the country it can be a little difficult to navigate to.

However, if you are looking to truly get a sense of what local life in the UK involves, this is where you should make an effort to visit this area of Yorkshire. As your research may have already told you, this is a county which has a wealth of tourist attractions so in reality, Leeds is just the tip of the iceberg.

Not only that, but let’s make a point about hotels. In short, accommodation in Leeds is so much better for money than Southern alternatives. It means you really can get a lot more from your trip, which is what today’s article will focus on.

We will now take a look at some of the best things you can do in the city of Leeds itself – if you have your heart set of remaining within the city centre.

Millennium Square

If you arrive in Leeds looking a little lost, our best advice is to head over to Millennium Square. Unfortunately, we can’t say exactly what you’ll find here – it changes every day of the week. One day it might be an ice rink, while the next it might be a concert. The point we’re trying to make is that this tends to be the hub of the city – that meeting place that everyone suggests, and also somewhere to really get your journey into Leeds started.

Corn Exchange

Something that grabs a lot more headlines comes in the form of the Corn Exchange. This was actually based on the famous Paris corn exchange – so some of you might already notice that it feels somewhat familiar!

The building is simply stunning and having been designed by Cuthbert Broderick, it also holds similarities with the city’s town hall and various other buildings which were also part of his work.

Trinity Leeds

If shopping is your thing, then Trinity Leeds will probably be right up your street.

This is Leeds’ latest shopping mall and it has certainly grabbed the headlines for the right reasons. For those of you looking to taste some luxury, it has high-end brands like Armani to choose from. Then, for those who want a more relaxing afternoon, it has umpteen restaurants and even a cinema to visit.

Kirkgate Market

Of course, premium shopping isn’t up everyone’s street. This is where Kirkgate Market enters the picture, with this being one of the traditional British markets that were so common in the UK several decades ago.

The architecture that houses this market is some of the most stunning around, with fascinating Victorian design being the big feature.

Kirkgate is actually the largest market of its kind in Europe and when one considers the fact that Marks and Spencer had their first base here, it’s no surprise it attracts both locals and tourists over the course of a year.