Birmingham truly is one of Britain's great surprises.

Birmingham, or Brum as the locals call it, sits in the UK's West Midlands, halfway between London and Liverpool.

Most cities are the product of bricks and mortar, but Birmingham is built on innovation and imagination.

Birmingham is a place of constant renewal, yet the city's people remain ever-proud of their regal history and industrial heritage.

Delve into Birmingham's past at the age-old stronghold of kings and conquerors,

Warwick Castle. The story-soaked walls of this medieval fortress date back over 1000 years and have witnessed Birmingham's steady growth into the powerhouse it is today. The city itself began in the 12th century as a small market village at the crossroads of Britain's early trading routes.

Merchants and craftsmen brought wealth and knowhow to Birmingham, earning it the title,

"The City of a Thousand Trades."

During the industrial revolution, over 170 miles of transport canals were built, that's more canals than Venice.

Water became the life blood of a city, which would soon boom into the UK second largest metropolis.

At Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, get close to the cogs, pistons and pulleys that powered Birmingham during the industrial revolution, then catch a glimpse into the city's newest technological frontiers. Change has been a constant in Birmingham's history.

Rising from that first muddy crossroads market, is the Bullring, one of the city's many futuristic retail and restaurant utopias.

While Birmingham has redefined modern shopping, the city remains the proud custodian of traditional hand-crafted riches too.

Wander along canals and parks to the Jewellery Quarter, a thriving urban village which sits at the edge of the city.

Goldsmiths began smelting, soldering and selling their wares here in the mid-16th century, fusing the craft into Birmingham's DNA forever.

At the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, learn about the riches that Birmingham has brought to the world

and witness traditional techniques in perfectly preserved workshops.

After a few pints in the Jewellery Quarter's swanky bars and microbreweries, head to Digbeth, the city's bohemian heart and soul.

Savor the funky flavors at the Digbeth Dining Club, where artisans simmer, fry and sauté a smorgasbord of innovative goodness.

Follow aromas of coriander and cardamom to the Balti Triangle, where innovative Pakistani chefs helped make Birmingham one of the UK's most popular curry hotspots.

Birmingham is also the birthplace of one of the world's most beloved confectionary brands.

Cadbury World can be found four miles outside of the city, where the pioneering Cadbury Brothers created their worker village of Bournville and large chocolate factory in 1870s.

A banquet of a different kind awaits at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which exhibits creative treasures from across the ages.

One of Birmingham's greatest masterpieces is rendered in brick.

Aston Hall was commissioned in the early 17th century by Sir Thomas Holte. Once the high sherif of Warwickshire, Holte believed that he needed the grandest residence money could buy to show off his power and wealth.

Today the structure is a heritage listed reminder of the Birmingham's history of architectural innovation.

A few centuries later, Winterbourne House and Garden was built for John and Margaret Nettlefold.

This restored estate is now one of the UK's finest examples of an Edwardian arts and crafts villa.

The tradition of architectural innovation continues into the present at the magnificent Library of Birmingham, the perfect place to ignite your imagination.

Once your literary passions have been fired up, take the drive to Sarehole Mill, the birthplace of one of the world's greatest stories.

J.R.R. Tolkien spent his childhood around this mill, which inspired his fictional realm of Middle Earth,

the setting of The Lord of the Rings and other novels. Whether it's sustenance for the soul, fuel for the mind, or food for the body,

Birmingham is sure to satisfy every appetite. From high-end shopping to hand-crafted riches… from the red bricks of history to the gleaming shapes of tomorrow,

Birmingham sits forever at the crossroads of a proud past and a future of endless possibilities.

And crossroads, as every traveler knows, are the most exciting places to be.