Merseyside: Heritage, River Cruises and Nature Trails

The Liverpool City Region, also known as Merseyside, offers beaches and well-known attractions. There are also a variety of reasons to visit: a planned model village with an industrial history, museums and exhibitions, trails through landscapes, and a cruise on the Mersey. These themes appeal to different interests and help you decide what to focus on when planning your trip.

Getting around the region

The Merseyrail network connects Chester, Wirral, Southport and Liverpool Airport via the Wirral Line and the Northern Line. If you plan to use Merseyrail, check the timetables before travelling. This will help you include the destinations mentioned in your regional travel plans.

Heritage and museums

Port Sunlight is a planned model village built at the end of the 19th century for the employees of a soap factory. More than 900 listed houses and public buildings in the Arts and Crafts style make up the ensemble, set across 130 acres of parkland and gardens. Guided tours explore the village’s history, architecture and people. The Port Sunlight Museum tells the story of William Lever and his vision of creating a village for the employees of his Sunlight soap factory. The tour and museum complement each other: the tour focuses on the place, its architecture and its people, while the museum focuses on the person and his vision.

The Beatles Story features immersive recreations of important places in the band’s career, including Hamburg, The Cavern Club and Abbey Road Studios. Strawberry Field combines an interactive visitor exhibition with a peaceful garden area. The two experiences differ in form: one centres on recreated locations from the band’s career, while the other combines an exhibition and a garden. The National Museums Liverpool portfolio on Merseyside also includes seven museums and galleries.

Cruises on the Mersey and street food

Mersey Ferries’ River Explorer Cruise includes a 50-minute round trip from Liverpool or Seacombe with one ticket. As service details may change seasonally, check the operator’s timetable information before making plans. In Liverpool, Baltic Market is a street-food market on the redeveloped site of Cains Brewery. A river cruise and a market visit are therefore among the different ways to shape your trip.

Trails through landscapes

The Wirral Way is a 12-mile combined walking and cycling route, alongside a separate horse-riding route. Marshside Nature Reserve in Merseyside has three trails that pass salt marshes and pools and lead to the estuary. The descriptions answer different questions: the Wirral Way’s length and permitted uses are specified, while Marshside’s number of trails and landscape features are described. This can help you decide whether route length and activity or the landscapes along the trails are more important for your plans.

Planning your trip and finding hotels

The official guide to the Liverpool City Region features attractions in Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. The Liverpool City Region visitor information centres offer travel information, free maps and guidebooks, as well as tickets for major attractions and events.

Discover more destinations: Prescot, Southport, St Helens, Birkenhead, Aintree, Halewood, Knowsley, Huyton, West Kirby, Formby, Bootle, Wirral, Rainhill, Billinge, Bold Heath, Whiston, Newton-le-Willows.

Back to the wider travel overview: North West England.