Nottingham, often called the "Queen of the Midlands," is a city in England famous for its connection to the legendary Robin Hood. With its beautiful countryside, historic buildings, lush parks, and a vibrant food and pub culture, there's plenty to explore and enjoy. Nottingham offers a variety of attractions for tourists to explore. Visitors can delve into the rich history of the city by checking out Nottingham Castle and the intriguing caves beneath it.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Nottingham is one of three major cities in the East Midlands of England, the others being nearby Leicester and Derby. Its prosperity was historically derived mostly from the lace making and coal-mining industries, little of which remains. Nottingham has moved towards a more service-based economy. In the 1960s it was famed for having a gender imbalance. The centre of Nottingham lies on the River Leen and its southern boundary follows the course of the River Trent, which flows from Stoke to the Humber. Nottingham has an estimated city population of 320,000 (2021). The urban area has a population of 730,000 (2021).
Nottingham has excellent public transport served by buses, train and trams. The city is combat and walkable. The city centre is best explored on foot as many of the historic streets are pedestrianised or have good pedestrian access. Nottingham Express Transit (NET) is the city's modern tram system. There are two branches which run on the same tracks in the city centre and then diverge at both ends to serve 4 destinations (Hucknall, Phoenix Park, Toton Lane and Clifton South). The system has Park and Ride sites along it, which make travel into the city centre easy.
1 Nottingham Castle. Visitors with Hollywood expectations of Robin Hood films should be aware that this is not a medieval castle, but a small stately home with only the gatehouse remaining from the original castle. The castle includes grounds with a children’s play area and extensive views over the region, and a museum with various exhibitions inside the house itself (including the country's first municipal art gallery). After a refurbishment the castle reopened in 2021 with a number of interactive exhibits and games. A tour of the caves under the castle can also be booked for an additional fee. £15. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Robin Hood statue, Castle Road. 24/7.
1 Nottingham Forest FC, Trentside N, West Bridgford NG2 5FJ. Forest were promoted in 2022 and now play soccer in the Premier League, England's top tier. Their home stadium (capacity 30,000) is City Ground just south of the Trent, a one-mile walk from city centre. Their unique feat was to win two European titles yet only one domestic, and they long played in lower tiers until their 2022 promotion. (updated May 2022) 2 Notts County FC, Meadow Lane NG2 3HJ. County are the world's oldest professional football club, founded in 1862, but nowadays overshadowed by Forest. They were promoted in 2026 and play soccer in League One, the third tier.
Nottingham also has the usual range of chain restaurants and bars that you can find in many cities across the UK. For a budget meal (and drink), JD Wetherspoons is always worth trying. There are also some budget restaurants along Mansfield Road not far from the Victoria Shopping Centre. There is a pedestrianised street full of eateries of varying quality next to the Cornerhouse. These restaurants range from a Pizza Hut and a Subway, to a brassiere (Punchinellos) with an excellent pre-theatre menu. There is also a wide variety of takeaways in Nottingham, catering for many different tastes. 1 Tuckers, The Hub, 42 Friar Ln. (updated Feb 2023) 2 Roosters Piri Piri, 4-5 Angel Row.
There are at least three pubs in Nottingham which claim to be amongst the oldest in the city (and the country), so there is no shortage of drinking establishments for visitors. The city has a range of pubs and bars serving drinks late into the night. A good place to start is the trendy Lace Market area east of Market Square where you will also find many good restaurants. Pubs around the Market Square tend to appeal to younger drinkers with a Wetherspoon's and Yates's Wine Lodge, but the area on the canal side around the Canal House pub tends to be a little more discerning. The Hockley area also provides a range of pleasant bars to suit a range of budgets.
While overall a safe city, Nottingham has been highlighted by the media for gun and knife crime in its suburbs, acquiring the (mostly tongue-in-cheek) nickname 'Shottingham'. It is best to avoid walking late at night through St Ann's (a council estate northeast of the Victoria shopping centre) and The Meadows (between the railway station and the river). Normal precautions for large western European cities should be undertaken by individuals after dark, especially for lone females.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €24 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Oct, Nottingham typically sees ~14°C daytime highs and 11 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-10-02. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy