Friendly, bustling and thriving, this cosmopolitan hub is everything you'd expect from the nation's second city - and much, much more. During the day you can shop to your heart's content or take in some of the best museums, galleries and major attractions outside of London. At night, you can watch a show, see a band, relax in an old-fashioned English pub or head down to the famous Balti Mile for a curry. Welcome to Birmingham.

Things to do for less than £10

• The Pen Room is a museum that showcases Birmingham's historic role at the hub of the world pen trade. Free admission. Write on!
• Take to the city's famous canals with a round-trip on the bright pink 'Ariel' waterbus.
• Birmingham also boasts a great choice of canal side pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants. Head for the area between Brindley Place, Gas Street Basin and Broad Street.
• The statues and sculptures of pedestrian-friendly Victoria Square are free to view and always a talking point.
• See the world's largest pre-Raphaellite collection and more at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Free admission.

And pretty soon, Birmingham's welcome will be even warmer because we're investing more than £10m in the refurbishment of Digbeth coach station. It's going to look lovely.