from: VisitScotland

 

Glasgow's vibrant city centre lies north of the River Clyde and its geographical heart is George Square, a 19th-century municipal showpiece crowned by the City Chambers.

 

Glasgow's commercial centre spreads west of George Square, and is mostly built on a large grid system of roads lined by grand Victorian buildings and modern skyscrapers.

 

The city centre offers some of the best shopping experiences outside of London, arranged along the interlinked and mostly pedestrianised thoroughfares of Argyle Street, Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street. The large contemporary mall Buchanan Galleries is close to Princes Square, one of the most stylish shopping centres in the country.

 

There is a wonderful array of restaurants and cafes in the city centre, while major cultural offerings include the Gallery of Modern Art, the showpiece Royal Concert Hall and the Theatre Royal.

 

Also worth exploring is the Merchant City whose 18th-century warehouses once bustled with cotton, tobacco and sugar traders. In the past two decades, the area has been regenerated with expensive designer shops, style bars and bijou cafes that give the Merchant City an air of sophistication.