Leeds travel guide

Leeds, UK - Overview: Cultural & Commercial Capital of UK

Leeds is located in West Yorkshire on river Aire. The city is known as the cultural and commercial capital, and also houses one of the famous universities in United Kingdom. It is marked by the presence of historic buildings and fine examples of British architecture. There are excellent facilities for shopping, entertainment and leisure in the city, which help in making it a popular tourist centre.

The name of the city is derived from Loidis, which was the name of the district. There were two villages called Ledston and Ledsham that are located near the city, the names of which also came from Loidis, hence confirming it was the name of the district. The name Loidis was derived as Leodis, which then became Ledes, and finally came to be known as Leeds.

Leeds initially used to depend on the manufacturing and clothing industry, but now the main industry of the city is the service sector. The city has excellent transportation facilities, and this has helped the city in becoming a reputed centre for distribution. Leeds has many shopping centers, which have resulted due to the boom in the retail industry. The city has become a very important trade centre and this is evident from the presence of the UK headquarters of several reputed companies in the city including Arla Foods, Asda Walmart, Jet2.com Airline, Direct Line Insurance, Northern Foods, Q Hotels, Optare, WHizz Go Car Rental, Yorkshire Bank and Leeds Buildings Society.

Apart from the large number of industries that are present in Leeds, the city is also known for its tourist attractions. Abbey House Museum, Abbey Light Railway, Armley Mills Industrial Museum, BTCV Nursery and Wildlife Garden, Emmerdale Tours, Golden Acre Park, Harewood House & Bird Garden, Henry Moore Institute, Hollies Botanical Garden, Horsforth Village Museum, Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds City Art Gallery, Lotherton Hall and Meanwood Valley Urban Farm are few of the popular tourist attractions that draw numerous individuals to the city.

There are many hotels in Leeds that makes searching accommodation for the people visiting the city a very easy task. The city also happens to have one of the largest and famous universities in UK, University of Leeds, which has been providing quality education to many students over the years. It has been a popular right from its establishment as the Leeds School of Medicine in the year 1831.

Leeds is counted amongst the greatest cities in United Kingdom. Its prosperity is reaching newer heights with each passing day.