Birmingham- 2 hour visit to centre any tips?

[F1rugby23]

We are attending Birmingham uni open day next week and are planning a quick trip to the centre by train from the uni at around 3pm. Any tips on where to go to get a good overview of the best places. May want to stop for a coffee/snack. Can we get train to one station and do a walking tour and return to uni from another station, anyone got a good walking route to suggest? Many thanks for your help.

Walk up to Brindley Place through Centenary Square and the ICC - loads of bars and cafes up there. It's not far from New Street. Go up the library viewing platform on the way.

The Museum and Art gallery has just been refurbished and has mostly reopened...

The cathedral has Burne Jones windows!

Should say if you go up to Brindley Place you can continue up Broad Street which doesn't look much in the day but is a night life hub, then head to Five Ways station to get back to University.

Trains to University station go from New St or Five Ways, but Five Ways station doesn't really help for a walking tour of the nice areas of town!... The Jewellery Quarter is worth a wander if you have time if you wanted to get an idea of the sort of place one might live post-Uni (especially St Paul's Square - some nice bars and cafes there too). The tram runs between there and Centenary Square/Brindley Place so you could easily fit in both parts of town. Birmingham is a great and underrated city!

Museum is back open and has Edwardian tea rooms.

tbf if you’re going to University of Birmingham- don’t bother going into the city centre- explore the campus. The Lapworth Museum of Geology is great for a quick visit and then the high street has some good food places.

Walk along the canal in the gas basin from brindley place to the mail box. Some really quaint pubs along the canal.
The National trust back to backs are worth a visit to see how life was like in bygone Birmingham, but must be pre booked and would take up most of your two hours.

There's a real great cafe, Grand Central Kitchen just opposite New St Station open until 4.

The German market is on so you can get an overpriced hot dog and hot chocolate if you want!!

Seriously though there are loads of places to eat in Grand Central.

The central library has two great balconies for views across the city on tge 4th & 7th floors and the Shakespeare library on the 9th.

Echoing all these ideas. You can do nice walks all over Birmingham stopping off where you like.

I did this for a work Teams Away Day out and we walked via the Jewellery Quarter, library, canals and the curry part taking in quaint pubs. After getting off the train we walked a short distance and got the tram to curry part which was near Jewellery Quarter. The curry part was where the Away Day was held.

Thanks all, I'll get the map out and plan a walking route to cover the places recommended. My son really wants to get an overview of the city as well as the campus while we are there as that will play a part in his decision, though obviously can't do anything in great detail. Going to get our steps up on that day!!