A seafront coffee Credit: Blackpool Council
Visiting Blackpool for some time away? Enjoy Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Tower. Find cheap hotels or cheap accommodation.
Blackpool has been a popular holiday destination for over 100 years and has a rich heritage of entertaining the masses. Over recent decades there has been a shift away from the traditional week-long breaks to visitors having a weekend away.
The town has adapted well to the changes and has worked hard at keeping up with what visitors want. The last few years has seen extensive work completed to the main shopping areas making them a safer and more attractive area to shop. There have also been improvements to traffic- free areas allowing the cafe culture to arrive in Blackpool. In the summer, many visitors head to Birley Street and St John’s Square for a coffee and lunch while they watch the world go by outside.
A lot of hard work has gone into improving Blackpool’s accommodation over the last several years. Many of the traditional bed and breakfast hotels have either closed or been upgrading their facilities for the more discerning visitor offering excellent deals for visitors. Below are a few of the major attractions bringing visitors back year after year.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
The Pleasure Beach Resort has been entertaining fun seekers for over 100 years and boasts over 125 rides and a variety of entertainment shows within the complex. The resort even boasts its own 4 star hotel popular for visitors and the business markets with a variety of conference rooms available.
In April 2011, a major expansion is taking place when Nickelodeon Land will open. This involves converting over 6 acres of the resort to this new theme which is sure to excite the younger visitors to the area.
Blackpool Tram Credit: Blackpool Council
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower has long dominated the Fylde coast towering 518 feet over the resort. Opened in 1894, the tower allows the visitor fantastic views over the surrounding area. On a clear day you can see in excess of a 30-mile radius. Further improvements are planned for 2011, including a scary Blackpool Dungeon and a new 4D cinema experience at the top of the tower.
Within the same area is the wonderful Blackpool Tower Ballroom, widely regarded as the home of Ballroom dancing in the UK. Visitors can sit enjoying a traditional high tea, listening to an organ recital or just watching the ballroom dancing in Victorian splendour.
The Grand Theatre
Blackpool has many variety shows with the top names in entertainment over the years. Since 1894, the 1100-seat Grand Theatre has been thrilling visitors with anything from opera to pantomime.
Blackpool Promenade
Blackpool’s Golden Mile has remained one of the main attractions for the town, with miles of groomed sands and donkey rides for the youngsters. Along its length are three Victorian piers and the oldest tramway in the country, dating back to 1885. Some of the oldest trams date back to 1901, and special trams can be seen during the famous Blackpool Illuminations. The Illuminations have always been a major attraction after the summer season, giving the visitor a 7-mile festival of over 1 million light bulbs and lasers.
Further improvements are due to open on the seafront providing a new walkway, headlands for outdoor events and other plans to entertain during the day. With these and other improvements planned for Britain’s favourite seaside resort, will you be visiting in 2012?
