Recommendations taken from the 'Where to Go Manchester' guidebook.

  1. The Bridgewater Hall

Start your weekend with a visit to the state-of-the-art 2,400 seat auditorium, with magnificent Marcussen pipe organ. Concerts range from classical and jazz through to world and popular music. It is the home of Manchester's renowned Hallé Orchestra as well as being the performance base for the city's other distinguished ensembles, the BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata. More info.

  1. Radisson Blu Edwardian

Spend the weekend in luxury surroundings. The former Free Trade Hall has a fascinating musical and political past, glimpses of which can be seen in the many retained original features. It also boasts an excellent restaurant, Opus One. More info.

  1. MSI

Start Saturday with a visit to MSI, the Museum of Science & Industry. Home to the world's first passenger railway, it also showcases all manner of trains, planes and hands on science exhibits. More info.

  1. IWM North

This Daniel Libeskind-designed museum shimmers by the side of the Manchester Ship Canal; award-winning for architecture, exhibitions and its collection, it also supplies a dizzying vista via its viewing tower. More info.

  1. Manchester Museum

Finish the weekend by heading to Alfred Waterhouse's university precinct and neo- Gothic Manchester Museum; don't miss its Living Worlds gallery, the sleek reinvention of a natural history gallery by art and fashion producers, Villa Eugénie. More info.