The city of Birmingham lies almost in the geographical centre of England, deep in the West Midlands and about 177 km from London. Most tourists tend to associate the very name of the city with factories, industry, smoke and fog, rather than anything interesting to see. And perhaps with good reason too- for Birmingham has long been known as one of the main industrial centres of Great Britain. It was here that the Industrial Revolution made great progress, and it was here that some of the most famous men in the history of industry- James Watt, William Murdock, Matthew Boulton, and Joseph Priestly- lived and worked. The city is still an important commercial and manufacturing centre, but it’s gradually winning appreciation for other things too- for its museums and art galleries, its markets, and its many canals- all worth exploring.