Glasgow East End

A few hundred yards down either London Road or the Gallowgate from Glasgow Cross is the Barras, the city's largest and most popular weekend market. The fast-talking traders, lively atmosphere and entertaining vignettes of Glasgow life make it an off-beat diversion from shopping-mall banality. One of Glasgow’s most famous music venues, the legendary Barrowland Ballroom, is also here.

Between London Road and the River Clyde is Glasgow Green, one of the oldest public parks in Britain, whose natural focal point is the People's Palace, where you can learn about the city's social history. As a museum, it's refreshingly unpretentious. Next to the People’s Palace are the Winter Gardens, a large Victorian glasshouse complete with cafe, water garden and assorted tropical plants and shrubs. Outside the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens is the beautifully restored Doulton Fountain, an ornate terracotta monument to the Victorian British Empire.

The city's East End has a variety of independent shops and a wide selection of places to eat and drink. It is easily accessible from the city centre by foot and is connected to the city and surrounding areas by train, bus and road.