Two cities brimming with history, a Tudor delight, an island that marches to the beat of its own drum and some of the most pleasant countryside in Britain…welcome to the northwest of England. Dominating the region is mighty Manchester, a city built on innovation and bursting with creativity. Just across the Pennines is perennial rival Liverpool, fiercely proud of its own heritage and well able to hold its own against its neighbour in all matters, from food to football. Between them is Chester, a Tudor gift enveloped by Roman walls. But the northwest is more than just mankind's concrete footprint: you don't have to go far to find yourself surrounded by the bucolic charms of northern Lancashire, while offshore is the Isle of Man, so pretty that Unesco gave the whole place Biosphere Reserve status.
According to Lonely Planet, these are the top experiences and sights in Northwest England: Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and the Isle of Man.
