Be aware, too, that not all museums and exhibitions have English translations yet, so you may need to take a guide or German-speaker with you. Having said that, if they do speak a little English or you speak a little German, Saxons will certainly make the effort to talk to you. The east of the state, round Bautzen, is a Slavic Sorb minority with their own language, traditions and customs.. Why go now? Why go now? "Glasgow's Miles Better", the city's self-aware slogan, has seen Glasgow re-badge itself as Garden Festival City (1988), City of Culture (1990) and City of Architecture and Design (1999).
Yet the things that make Glasgow better are more substantial and longer lived They include its people Its architecture, too, is consistently good. While Edinburgh is a city of great urban planning, Glasgow is a city of great individual buildings. Its grid plan and iron-frame buildings set it alongside Chicago as one of the great 19th-century cities, built on industrial wealth and innovation. One architect in particular, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, has had a profound impact on his native city.
At this time of year you will enjoy Mackintosh's buildings as he meant them to be enjoyed, as essays in space and light. Finally, special breaks from only £20 a night are available at www.seeglasgow Beam downNo-frills flights from Stansted on Go (0845 60 54321, www.go-fly ) and from Luton on easyJet (0870 600 0000, www.easyJet ) are supplemented by with-frills offerings on British Airways (0845 77 333 77, www.britishairways ) from Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Inverness, Manchester, Plymouth and Southampton, and from East Midlands and Manchester on BMI (0870 60 70 555, www.flybmi ). Glasgow's main airport is just a £3.30 bus ride from the city centre the bus arrives at Buchanan St bus station (1). If you come by train, you'll also arrive in the centre of town at Glasgow Central (2). Most services from England are operated by Virgin Trains (08457 222 333, www.virgin /trains), though the sleeper from London Euston (from £89 return) is ScotRail (08457 550033).Check in The very unusual and expensive One Devonshire Gardens (same address, 0141 339 2001)(3) is Elton John's choice. Less expensive are the newly opened Lang's Hotel (4) at 2 Portdundas Place (0141 333 1500), the sleek and minimalist Brunswick Hotel (5) at 106-108 Brundswich Street (0141 552 0001) and the ArtHouse (6) at 129 Bath Street (0141 221 6789) which comes complete with interior fountain. If you're after a cheaper b&b, the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Information Centre at George Square (7) (0141 204 4400) is very helpful.Get your bearings Glasgow is a big city but its centre is compact.
