A Shop-a-holics Paradise
Leeds city centre has over two miles of traffic free shopping and much more beyond that. Home to over 1,000 shops located in the heart of the city and housing everything from high street, to designer and unique boutiques, Leeds has earned its title as the Knightsbridge of the North. Famously the first city outside of London to play host to Harvey Nichols, the main precinct is also pedestrianised opening up the opportunity for many trendy bars and street cafes where you can refuel along the way. Main shopping areas of the city include Victoria Quarter - the designer haven, the Corn Exchange, a plethora of boutiques, and Briggate, the main shopping High Street. There is also the famous Leeds Kirkgate markets, which holds bi-weekly farmers markets.

Central Eating
Wherever you are in Leeds you will not be far from fine cuisine. The city really does offer a bit of everything, whether its a mid-morning coffee with croissant and a paper, or a trendy cocktail bar for 'Sex and the City' style, Leeds has the answer. With every style of restaurant you could imagine from Italian and French to the more unique Cuban and African cuisine. There will be a restaurant that can cater for your every mood, be it chilled out Sunday lunch or a romantic anniversary dinner, some of the chicest restaurants in Leeds can cater for your every desire. Favourites include Oporto, No 3 York Place, the Michelin starred No 42 The Calls and of course an abundance of bars and cafes with over 152 in the centre alone.

A Sporting Capital
Where else can you watch great football, Engage Super League rugby, Zurich premiership rugby union and test match cricket? Famous names such as Micheal Vaughan, England and Yorkshire cricket captain, add glamour to the sporting affairs of Leeds. Leeds enjoys busy sporting seasons with calendars packed full of competitive matches. However if you prefer to be the one doing the sport there are also hundreds of options. There are leisure centres and parks for those who enjoy swimming and athletics, 21 golf courses, and the Yorkshire Dales are never far away for those with a healthy appetite for walking and climbing.

Family Fun
Leeds and Yorkshire have some of the most interesting and interactive national museums for children of all ages. The Royal Armouries, Harewood House, Tropical World, Temple Newsam, Roundhay Park, Kirkstall Abbey and Thackray Medical Museum are just a handful of the entertaining days out offered in Leeds. The recently opened Xscape at Castleford offers entertainment for the more extreme, with skiing and snowboarding on real snow and rock and ice climbing amongst some of the more adventurous activities.

Arts and Culture
A hot bed for theatre, concerts, opera, visual arts and dance, Leeds competes on a national stage with many of its home-grown talents touring the country on a regular basis. With the Leeds Grand currently being refurbished and the Carriageworks theatre set for a grand opening in autumn of this year, there will never have been greater choice for an evening of entertainment. West Yorkshire Playhouse stages more productions each year than other theatre outside of London ranging from musicals to Shakespeare. If theatre isn't your thing, Leeds has plenty to offer in the way of dance and music. Both Northern Ballet Theatre and Opera North are based here as is Phoenix Dance. During the summer Leeds is awash with festivals from the Carling Leeds Reading music festival to opera in the park and open air Shakespeare at the historic Kirkstall Abbey. 2006 will see the Leeds International Piano Forte Competition, Illuminate and the return of Opera in the Park.

Clubber's Guide
Leeds has one of the best clubbing scenes in the country and has won awards from Mixmag for its popularity amongst the clubbers of Britain. Whatever takes your fancy, from cheesy tunes to fluffy boots and rare grooves you can find it in one of the dozens of clubs and hundreds of bars in the city. Back to Basics is one of Leeds most prolific nightclubs and has been going strong for over ten years. That's not to say there aren't any new comers with the Gatecrasher club Discotheque, opened just recently. Complimented by bars and pubs such as Babycream, Revolution and HaHa across the city, the nightlife is a clubbers' paradise.

Short Breaks to Spoil Yourself
Leeds is certainly alluring for day trips, weekends breaks and maybe even a little longer. Whatever your choice of entertainment Leeds offers short breaks to suit every taste: Shopping, Theatre, Orchestral, Opera, Family, Romatic and Spa Breaks. Some of the most prestigious hotels in Leeds are included in the short breaks packages which include accommodation, breakfast and tickets to atrractions and shows starting from as little as £63 pp for two nights in a 4* hotel.

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