Get outdoors in the Lickey Hills

Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in Europe, with more than 8000 acres of award-winning parks and greenery. But go to Lickey Hills Country Park if you want to combine that green space with stunning panoramic views and attractive woodland pathways.

The hills are conveniently located 10 miles southwest of Birmingham's downtown, are easily accessible by train, bus, or automobile, and are great for walking any time of year. Be sure to climb Beacon Hill's nearly 300-meter summit for breathtaking views of Birmingham's cityscape to the north and the far-off Malvern Hills to the south.

Birmingham is doing something right because it has more trees than Paris. The city also has many parks, from the incredibly attractive Sutton Park in the north to the Cannon Hill Park, which is bordered by the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, in the south.