Located in the centre of England, Coventry is famed for its medieval roots, wartime past and the evolution of a modern city with plenty going on. Here, you can take a walk around the centre to trace the landmark moments of the city today. With so many wonderful attractions and activities to indulge in, you will never be left wondering what to do in Coventry: Entrench yourself in the historic Cathedral Quarter, grab a pint in one of the many high-quality alehouses, put the world to rights over a coffee, visit one of the city’s fascinating museums and enjoy their beautiful architecture.

1. What makes Coventry unique?
2. Coventry's popular attractions
3. Nightlife in Coventry
4. Sports in Coventry
5. Food in Coventry
6. Shopping Centres and Markets in Coventry
7. Festivals and Events in Coventry
8. Coventry living costs
9. Travel in and around Coventry
10. Explore the UK from Coventry

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1. What makes Coventry unique?

Coventry’s creative community knows how to put on a show and welcomes theatre enthusiasts to enjoy everything from drama to comedy played out across four city centre theatres. With markets, malls, retail parks and even a shopping village, there are plenty of choices when it comes to retail therapy, with stores offering everything from high street shopping to one-of-a-kind finds.

It is no surprise that Coventry, the UK City of Culture 2021, offers visitors an abundance of creativity. With nearly a dozen museums, cheese, beer and jazz festivals and excellent galleries showcasing local and international art, Coventry has enough culture to satisfy a city double its size.

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2. Coventry's popular attractions

Coventry is full of fun things to do and unique places to visit. Despite being just a town, within this wonderful place are numerous spots you can not miss, including:

• Coventry Transport Museum. Here you can run the rule over the world’s largest collection of British-made vehicles, among which are many Jaguars, Triumphs, Humbers and Standards.
• Coventry Cathedral. The tower is the largest surviving remnant, and is a working bell-tower where you can take leisure walks around its beautiful architecture.
• St. Mary’s Guildhall. Built in the 1340s, this is free to enter and is one of the most beautiful surviving guildhalls in the UK.
• Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. This sensational gallery and museum has strong collections in visual arts, archaeology, natural history and social history.
• Holy Trinity Church. One of the tallest spires (73 metres) of any non-cathedral church in the country.
• War Memorial Park. After the First World War the city bought 50 acres of land from the Lords of Styvechale Manor to lay out a park in memory of Coventry's war deaths.
• Warwick Arts Centre. The second largest arts complex outside London’s Barbican.
• Lady Godiva Statue. Lady Godiva was a real historical figure, an 11th-century noblewoman who was wife to Leofric, Earl of Mercia.
• Kenilworth Castle. This magnificent castle was raised in Norman times, and testifies to pivotal events in English Medieval and Tudor history.
• Stoneleigh Abbey. A stately home on the site of a Cistercian abbey that was founded in the 12th century.

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3. Nightlife in Coventry

Influenced by its medieval history and bustling university, the city serves up traditional pubs alongside more cutting-edge clubs; blending the best of old and new worlds. As befits a city with an energetic student population, Coventry boasts plenty of late night activities. From live music to big-name DJs and cultured cocktails, there is something for all night owls.

Supplying Coventry with nightlife kicks for over a decade, Kasbah has a long and varied history, having hosted Calvin Harris, Arctic Monkeys and La Roux in recent years. Spreading over three floors, this nightclub’s visitors should expect to hear everything from the latest house hits to 90s RnB classics and disco bangers. With its impressive drink deals available throughout the week, you won’t need to break the bank for a good night out.

Partly a cocktail lounge and a club, Catch Twenty Two reopened at the end of 2016. Not only can you dance the night away to a crowd-friendly mix, but they offer cocktail lessons and masterclasses as well as innovative cocktail boxes, a make-your-own mojito and Bombay Sapphire starter kit you can order to your table.

One of the most popular sports bars in the city, Riley’s Sports Bar not only boasts 39 tables including 16 full-size snooker tables and American and English pool tables, but also has a darts zone and dozens of live TVs showing the latest sporting action. Riley also has an impressive range of bar food and frequent discounted deals.

One of the more bustling bars in Coventry, the Slug & Lettuce offers an excellent central location right next to the Cathedral Ruins, with a stunning beer garden and outdoor bar perfect for summer drinking. The food is highly recommended, with new menus launched on a regular basis, plus they also have enticing drink deals like 2-for-1 cocktails.

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4. Sports in Coventry

The only professional football team representing the city is Coventry City F.C. Formed in 1883, the club competes in the EFL Championship but spent 34 years from 1967 to 2001 in the top tier of English football, winning the FA Cup in 1987. Their home games can be watched at the Ricoh Arena which opened in the Rowleys Green district of the city.

Coventry Bears is the major Rugby League team in the city. As of the 2015 season, the Bears compete in the Kingstone Press League 1, as a fully professional team in the third tier of Rugby League. They play their matches at the Butts Park Arena.

The Coventry Blaze are one of the founding teams of the Elite Ice Hockey League. They compete in the Erhardt Conference and play their matches at the SkyDome Arena.

Other state-of-the-art facilities open to the public include:

• Coventry University Sport and Recreation Centre
• Caludon Castle Sports Centre
• The Alan Higgs Centre
• Sports Connexion Leisure Club & Venue
• Moat House Leisure & Neighborhood Centre
• St. Augustine Sports Centre

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5. Food in Coventry

From chain restaurants to artisanal cafés, eateries to take you from morning to night and markets selling fine, local produce, the city is a foodies’ delight. Here are just a few of the best places to eat in Coventry.

In the heart of Coventry’s Cathedral Quarter is Playwrights Bar & Bistro. Tucked neatly away on the cobbled Hay Lane, the pared-back interiors make sure the food takes centre stage. Using local suppliers, the menu is a condensed read-through of British staples. Slow-cooked pork belly, herb-crusted sea bass and lamb shanks are served with piping-hot seasonal vegetables; a warm-up to the very British Eton mess and apple crumble that await on the dessert menu.

With more eclectic decor – think hunting lodge meets nanny’s kitchen – the Cosy Club provides morning-to-night city centre dining, offering a robust brunch menu, burgers, salads, tapas and mains which graduate from light bites to classics to simply the best available. An extensive drinks menu will ease you into nighttime, featuring a hefty supply of bottled beers, ciders, ales on tap, wines and cocktails.

My Dhabba and Turmeric Gold are two of the city’s favourite Indian restaurants. Not your typical tikka masala affairs, My Dhabba is famous for its thali, giving diners the chance to sample a range of small dishes, while Turmeric Gold is as much a visual feast as a gastronomic one.

For some Latin flair, head to Las Iguanas inside the Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre. The chain is home to authentic Mexican and South American flavours, flame-grilled dishes and sharing platters in a colourful and warm, relaxed setting.

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6. Shopping Centres and Markets in Coventry

Covering old and new, you can spend an entire day browsing in a Coventry shopping centre or snapping up bargains in one of the city’s bustling markets. There are plenty of retail opportunities here to suit all tastes and budgets.

Coventry Market has a long and rich history stretching back to the 1950s in its current location. Open Monday to Saturday, you can buy every conceivable vegetable and fruit, taste food from across the world, pick up farm-fresh meat and treat yourself to that vintage Hi-Fi, knitting set or smoked pork belly sandwich you never knew of. Located in the heart of the city, there is also a range of food vans and trucks around the edge; perfect for a snack or lunch on the go.

A purpose-built area designed to support local creative, independent industries, Fargo Village is home to dozens of stalls selling art, scooters and chocolate, alongside yoga workshops, cafés, tattoo parlours and collectables. With over 45 stalls spread across its flexible indoor/outdoor arrangement, the site near Gosford Green is quickly becoming the main creative hub in Coventry. They host over 20 events every year, ranging from Christmas fairs to night shopping, film screenings, workshops and more.

An out-of-town shopping centre featuring dozens of high street outlets, The Arena Park Shopping Centre near Ricoh Arena is home to Marks & Spencer, sports retailer Decathlon, cafés, shops and restaurants. Over a quarter of the city centre shopping area, Lower Precinct Shopping welcomes nearly 200,000 shoppers every week and is home to big-name fashion brands like H&M, Next and New Look. It offers dozens of food and drink outlets, ranging from sushi to curry, falafel to sausage rolls.

A high street haven that houses Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, West Orchards Shopping Centre is a one-stop destination for all your fashion, jewellery, home, health and beauty needs. Located in the heart of Coventry, making it the perfect place to grab a coffee and some bargains before the crowds descend.

To the southwest of the city, Central Six Retail Park is a large out-of-town centre including several discount outlet stores like TK Maxx, Sports Direct and Poundland, as well as furniture shop Oakland, American Golf and Mothercare. Shoppers get up to three hours free parking, and there is a Burger King if you need to stop and refuel.

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7. Festivals and Events in Coventry

Coventry has a number of eclectic festivals and events throughout the year, including:

• Coventry Cheese Festival. A one-day affair hosting a gouda collection of cheeses every August, bringing together cheese traders, halloumi fries, cheesy popcorn and more.
• Coventry Beer Festival. A two-day event showcasing over 80 beers and ciders, as well as dozens of bottled beers and country wines.
• Godiva Festival. An award-winning, multi-stage festival that attracts almost 200,000 guests every year, making it the UK’s biggest free family festival.

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8. Coventry living costs

Budget guide:

• One-way Ticket (Local transport): £2.20
• Meal out: £10.00
• Fast Food (McDonalds): £6.00
• Gasoline (1 litre): £1.30
• Cinema ticket: £9.50
• Taxi (normal tariff): £2.80 Photo credit: Marvin Meyer via Unsplash

9. Travel in and around Coventry

Coventry is a compact city where the best mode of transport is arguably your own two legs. Getting to the city is easy, thanks to a choice of train connections linking Coventry to London, Birmingham and beyond, alongside a park and ride scheme and a cheap public bus system.

Public transportation

Coventry is a very compact city. So much so that you can walk from one side of the city to the other in about 20 minutes. If you do want to catch a bus to help you get around, the city has a central bus station.

If you are driving into the city, you can leave your car and use the convenient park and ride operated by Stagecoach. There are over 400 free parking spaces, so the scheme can provide a cost-effective way of getting into the city.

By train

Coventry station is well served with regular services between London Euston and Birmingham New Street stations.

10. Explore the UK from Coventry

Coventry is an ideal base for you to start exploring neighbouring cities, towns, and the rest of the UK.

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Birmingham

Birmingham, a major city in the West Midlands region, is Europe’s youngest and Britain's second largest city. Famed for the first manufacturing town in the world and hailed as the city of thousand trades, Birmingham withholds unique historical constructions as well as famous cultural heritage. Life here will always grant you the best convenience, whether it is shopping, eating, or visiting beautiful landmarks - there will always be something for everyone.

Leicester

With so much going on, you won’t be left wondering what to do in Leicester. East Midlands’ largest city has hit the headlines for all the right reasons in recent years, thanks to Leicester City F.C.’s enthralling underdog story and the remarkable discovery and reburial of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral.

Away from the news stories, there is plenty to like about the city that brought us the Attenborough brothers and Walkers crisps, from discovering the activities and entertainment to dining in delectable restaurants and quenching your thirst in a quirky watering hole.

Warwick

With just a 15-minute car drive, Warwick is the perfect place for you to take a trip with friends and family. The charming county town is one of the hidden gems of the Midlands. Its breathtaking castle alone is enough to make it well worth a trip, but there is far more to it than that. Countless visitors have admired its numerous half-timbered buildings, many of which house quaint cafés, pubs and restaurants.