Greater Manchester

Far more than the (admittedly great) Manchester city at its heart, Greater Manchester could stake a good claim to be the most fascinating region in the north west. It is a metropolitan county with a population of over 2.7 million and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Britain, made up of Wigan, Trafford, Tameside, Stockport, Rochdale, Oldham, Bury and Bolton.

Spanning 496 square miles it is bordered by Merseyside to the west, Lancashire to the north, Yorkshire to the northeast, Derbyshire to the south-east and Cheshire to the south.

The landscape, where it is unpopulated, is still quite beautiful. The peninnes run along the east of the county, passing through Tameside, Rochdale and Oldham, whilst the West Peninne Moors pass through the west of the county. Both the Tame and the Mersey run through the county borders and the rivers Irk, Douglas and Beal also run through Greater Manchester. Chat Moss is a gorgeous area of farmland and has a massive area of semi-natural woodland to explore.

The real highlight is of course Manchester itself, one of the UK's most exciting cities. Some people head there for the football, to see the world's biggest team (United) or the world's richest team (City); others come for the vast and eclectic temples of mammon, the famous Manchester shopping.

For nightlife there is no finer destination in the UK and for culture and the arts few cities other than London can match the sheer breadth of galleries, shows, gig venues and museums.

One favorite is the Museum of Science and Industry, with its reconstructed 19th century sewer and the incredible Beyer Garratt locomotive. Moving further out, the Hack Green Secret Bunker in the Cheshire countryside is an eerie and chilling Col War nuclear bunker complex and is a fascinating day out.

Using Manchester as a base, why not head out into the Pennines and sample the High Peak Trail, or explore Celtic ruins and historic sites in the Cheshire countryside?