The new Transport for Wales direct train route between Liverpool and Llandudno means people from Merseyside can reach the north Wales Victorian seaside town in less than two hours. For one Welsh writer, it also opens up the chance to head in the opposite direction to a city she has loved for a lifetime.
She describes herself as Welsh with the whole of her heart and soul, but admits she cannot help loving Liverpool too. She has watched Liverpool Football Club for decades and remembers Anfield before its current design, when fans had to squeeze down an alley next to The Albert pub and into turnstiles overlooked by derelict houses. Players would sometimes sign books or ticket stubs as they walked to their parked cars.
A city of docks and landmarks
The city offers far more than its two football clubs, even with Everton's new stadium now open. Anyone visiting Liverpool finds there is too much to squeeze into one day. If you can stay overnight, the Premier Inn at the Royal Albert Dock is part of the impressive conversion of this Grade I listed site, packed with restaurants, souvenir shops and museums. Breakfast comes with a direct view over the water, and every bedroom retains historic warehouse character.
A walk around Albert Dock is always a pleasure, even if it is usually windy. On one visit, the writer kept walking alongside the river Mersey in the sunshine to Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium while it was still being built, finding a very welcome bar with water views along the way. The route also takes in Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, where Netflix show House of Guinness was filmed - Liverpool has also doubled for Batman's Gotham City.
An open-top bus tour starting at Albert Dock gives an instant insight into the city layout, passing unique and historic buildings including the Pier Head. There, the Three Graces - the Royal Liver Building with its two liverbirds, the Cunard building and the Port of Liverpool building - stand side by side.
Culture and hidden gems
Liverpool has a packed programme of events throughout the year, and many people have memories of Eurovision being held in the city. The growth of Liverpool Comic Con by Monopoly Events at the M&S Bank Arena has given Star Wars fans like the writer another reason to visit, with interview panels, autographs and photoshoots with celebrities from across a multiverse of franchises.
St George's Hall, the World Museum and Walker Art Gallery are favourite haunts, and the dock areas are a remarkable complex of waterways. One memorable experience was Eonarium Enlightenment at St George's Hall, where guests lay on beanbags and watched the curved ceiling and columned walls come to life with a lightshow set to Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.
The Georgian Quarter is the writer's favourite place to wander when time allows, and when it's packed with students it has an infectious, busy vibe. Within the area stands the instantly recognisable Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, fondly known as Paddy's Wigwam, where sunlight cascades through blocks of coloured glass - a breathtaking, spiritual experience.
Pubs, restaurants and coffee spots
St Luke's Bombed Out Church at the end of Leece Street has a coffee shop in its grounds. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms offers classic pub food, including glorious pies, real ales and premium gins, but it is the interior - celebrated as one of the most ornate and opulent Victorian pubs in the country, including the toilets - that is memorable. It is said Lennon and McCartney performed in the main dining hall, and that John Lennon regretted no longer being able to enjoy a quiet pint there.
On Hope Street, the corner restaurant Papillon and its neighbour The Quarter could easily be a corner of a Parisian street; the writer has tried both and liked them. For drinking, St Peter's Tavern is a converted 1788 church that sprawls across three floors, with views of the original building and art throughout. The Vines on Lime Street, dating from 1907 and Grade II* listed, draws you in with a corner tower and historic etched windows; inside, a huge stained glass ceiling dome and carved wood panelling impress.
Concert Square is the epicentre of clubs and bars for the 30,000 students who call the city home. The writer prefers a brew to a beer these days, and her favourite spot for peace is the Walker Art Gallery, with a quiet coffee shop and areas to sit opposite mesmerising artwork.
Museums, shopping and more
Museums include the contemporary Museum of Liverpool and the historic World Museum, with National Museums Liverpool's website a handy source of information. The Albert Dock Tate Liverpool is temporarily closed for redevelopment, but has a temporary home at RIBA North further along the dock. Major redevelopment is also under way at the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum.
The writer spends most of her spare cash on football, but Liverpool would happily deliver for a shopaholic, with national brands and independent retailers, plus a trail of independent book shops included in Bookshop Crawl UK. For coffee, the Pocket Cafe Bar sits on the corner of Paradise Street and Price Street, next to Wander, a gift shop where unusual items catch the eye. Paper Cup Coffee on Queen Square is a charity supporting people experiencing homelessness, with customers able to 'pay forward' a drink. At Albert Dock, independent cafes and a Costa branch compete for attention, but Francie's Focaccia & Coffee usually has a queue for its sandwiches, including a hot honey speciality. For a larger meal, Rudy's pizza is a favourite at Albert Dock, Bold Street or Castle Street, where a range of restaurants, most offering alfresco dining, include some well-known brands.
Beatles and beyond
The writer still has a to-do list: the protestant cathedral, a ferry across the Mersey, the Splashdown amphibious tour and, with advance National Trust tickets, the childhood homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The Magical Music Tour coach takes visitors to key areas of the city, with a scouser guide and singalong songs, including a quick photo stop at Strawberry Fields. At Albert Dock there's a Beatles museum, and in front of the Royal Liver Building a statue of the fab four usually has a busker nearby. The Cavern Club in Matthew Street is a must-visit for music history.
The people of Liverpool
But it is the people who make Liverpool special - welcoming, funny, straight talking and genuinely interested in visitors. The city has challenges like any other in the UK, but its residents' resilience and support for each other through the toughest moments defines it.
At the Liverpool FC Premier League winners' parade in 2025, a car ploughed into a crowd of supporters leaving the parade area. The atmosphere turned from celebration to fear. With roads blocked and Lime Street station at a standstill, Liverpudlians offered their cars as lifts home and their homes as shelters for stranded fans. That, the writer says, is the heart and soul of Liverpool - and the most important reason she loves it, even more than the football.
