As many people book serviced apartments in Birmingham for leisure as they do for work. Many manage to combine both – especially those with an interest in industrial archaeology. Birmingham grew from the roots of the Industrial Revolution. Now, as then, activity is based around what was once the city’s major commercial highway – its canal.

If you’ve always wondered what it’s like to steer a brightly patterned narrow boat, book into one of our Birmingham luxury serviced apartments and find out. The steam mills and factory sweatshops are long gone, but the canal still reverberates to the bargee thrum. One of the waterfront restaurants, Away2Dine, even has its own canal boat! But whether you lunch from the galley or the pub, you are sure to be enthralled by the canal-side magic. You can even take rudder yourself, with a “Novice Skipper” lesson.

One of the best ways to enjoy canal life is with a towpath ramble or bike ride. You can go for miles – but be warned. Whether on water, saddle or foot, you’re in for a hard slog; Birmingham sits on the Midland Plateau, a 200ft rise above the surrounding landscape. Canals sometimes disobey the laws of water flow. They can go uphill, which means locks – these can be interesting to watch, and can be close by if you book into accommodation in Birmingham.

We at Serviced City Pads have Birmingham serviced apartments near canal-side attractions like the National Sea Life Centre and the Ikon Gallery. If you fancy a hike then the tow path from Gas Street Station to Aldersley Junction is a fascinating history lesson.

Even though our Birmingham serviced apartments come complete with luxury fitted kitchens, we at Serviced City Pads wouldn’t blame you for leaving the cooking utensils in the drawer.  Birmingham is, of course the birthplace of the Balti curry, and the scent of sizzling spices pervades every area of the city. Of course, the kitchen facilities of our luxury serviced apartments in Birmingham are paradise for any keen cook, and the city is replete with ethnic food shops and cookery schools.

For the uninitiated, Balti is very different to other types of curry cuisine. No longer unique to Birmingham, it was nevertheless invented here – in the early 1980s. It is characterised by the fact it is both cooked and served in the same cast iron cooking pot, called the balti. The word supposedly translates as “bucket,” and there is also an area of Pakistan called Baltistan. However, no-one is sure how the word originated. What is certain is that Balti was created by Pakistani immigrants, who were intrigued by the “one-pot-wonder” of traditional northern English stews and blended this with their own delicious cuisine to create an international phenomenon.

However, it’s said a curry is not a true Balti unless it’s cooked and eaten in the “Balti Triangle” – a terraced suburb in the Stratford Road/Stoney Lane area of Birmingham. Here, you will find over 50 authentic Balti restaurants as well as dozens of ethnic food, clothing and jewellery shops.

“Balti tourism” is now big news in the city – there are even specialised Balti walking tours. So rent one of our Birmingham serviced apartments to ensure you have culinary experiences to remember.