Dossier GLASGOW. Green city by the river Clyde

The west bank of the River Clyde houses a giant blue Titan. The crane was built in 1907 and was used to lift engines and boilers of huge merchant ships. Today, Titan is a symbol of the city’s historic industrial power. Further on the riverside you can find the Scottish Event Campus and the SSE Hydro – the city’s most popular concert hall. Every year events are held there with the participation of the most outstanding international stars.

In Celtic, Glasgow means “an expensive green place”. There are over 90 parks and gardens here. Despite the ever-changing Scottish weather, the green areas are always full of strollers. It is worth going to Pollok Country Park located in the southern part of the city – you can ride a bike here, visit Pollock’s house, and even meet a herd of shaggy Scottish cows. The perfect place to enjoy the city panorama will be Queen’s Park. Also noteworthy is the botanical garden with impressive greenhouses and an extensive collection of tropical plants.

One of the leading representatives of Art Nouveau in the UK is Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a designer, architect and painter born in Glasgow. He is known primarily for the Mackintosh Building – the design of a new building for the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) completed in 1909. Unfortunately, the building was destroyed in a fire in June 2018. Charles Mackintosh is also a valued creator of furniture characterized by raw, geometric shapes and restrained form. Architecture and art enthusiasts should take part in one of the organized city tours, during which they will be able to learn curiosities from the artist’s life, see the mural dedicated to him on Bridgegate Street and visit the buildings designed by him, such as the Willow Tea Room or Queen’s Cross Church, known as the “Mackintosh Church”.

West End streets are full of cafés, bars and restaurants. For those who get hungry in the vicinity of Ashton Lane, a good place to grab a snack will be Ubiquitous Chip, which serves, among others, homemade haggis (traditional delicacy made from sheep offal). A visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a must. An enormous collection of natural history exhibits, one of the greatest collections of arms and armour in the world, as well as the priceless works of world famous artists have been gathered there. West End is also the birthplace of higher education in Glasgow. The university located here was founded in 1451 and is one of the oldest scientific institutions in the world.

The original Scottish experience can be enjoyed by visi- ting one of the city’s oldest venues – the Sloans bar and restaurant. On Friday evening, you can expect dances until the morning. If you want to wind down, go to one of the pubs such as Ben Nevis, Babbity Bowster or the Cluth and toast a glass of whiskey while listening to traditional Scottish folk. The most fashionable gastronomic district is Finniestone, which brings together original shops, bars and restaurants.