A day along the Birmingham canals

Ask anyone who has lived here a while and they will tell you the same thing: the best way to understand Birmingham is from the water's edge. The city grew up around its canals, and although the working boats have long gone, the towpaths still thread through the centre like a quiet back route that most visitors never find. Give yourself a full day, a comfortable pair of shoes and no fixed plan, and the canals will show you a side of the city that the ring road never could.

Start at Gas Street Basin

Gas Street Basin is the natural place to begin. Tucked down a slope just off Broad Street, it feels a world away from the traffic above. Narrowboats line the moorings, many of them lived in all year round, with herbs growing on their roofs and smoke curling from their chimneys on colder mornings. The name comes from the gas lamps that once lit the street above, and the old brick warehouses around the basin have been turned into pubs, restaurants and offices without losing their character.

Look out for the Worcester Bar, a narrow strip of land that once separated two rival canal companies. For years, goods had to be hauled across it by hand because neither company would let the other's water into its channel. A stop lock was eventually cut through in the early nineteenth century, and you can still stand on the spot where two networks finally met. It is a small reminder that Birmingham's famous business sense has always had a competitive edge.

Brindleyplace and the Old Turn Junction

Follow the towpath north and within a few minutes you reach Brindleyplace, named after James Brindley, the engineer behind the original Birmingham Canal in the 1760s. This is the busiest stretch of the network, with café terraces spilling onto the water and footbridges criss-crossing overhead. It is a good place for a coffee, and if you are here in the morning the light across the water is lovely.

Just beyond is the Old Turn Junction, where several routes meet around a small roundabout island. The signpost in the middle is one of the most photographed spots on the network, pointing boaters towards destinations across the country. Stand here for a moment and watch the boats negotiate the turn. There is an unhurried rhythm to it that makes a welcome change from the city streets.

While you are in Brindleyplace, it is worth stepping off the towpath to visit the Ikon Gallery, housed in a handsome Victorian former school building. Entry to the main galleries is usually free, and the contemporary exhibitions change regularly.

The Roundhouse and Sheepcote Street

A short walk further along brings you to the Roundhouse on Sheepcote Street. Built in the 1870s as stables and stores for the council, it has a distinctive horseshoe shape that is best appreciated from the canal side. Today it is looked after by the Canal and River Trust and the National Trust, and it has become a base for walking tours, kayaking sessions and guided trips that explain how the network shaped the city.

If you only book one activity during your day, make it one of the tours that start here. The guides are full of stories about the people who worked the boats, the goods they carried and the tough conditions they faced. It adds real depth to what you are seeing.

Farmer's Bridge Locks

For something a little quieter, head along to Farmer's Bridge Locks, a flight of thirteen locks that drops the canal down through the city towards Aston. The towpath here passes beneath office buildings and road bridges, and at times you feel almost hidden from the city around you. Watching a boat work its way down the flight is fascinating, and crews are usually happy to chat about what they are doing.

Birmingham is often said to have more miles of canal than Venice. Whether or not you count them, walking the towpaths makes the comparison feel less like a boast and more like a fact.

Where to eat and drink

You will not go hungry. Gas Street Basin and Brindleyplace have plenty of options, from casual cafés to sit-down restaurants with canalside tables. For something more laid back, pick up food to take away and find a bench by the water. On a warm evening, the terraces around the basin fill up quickly, so it is worth arriving a little early if you want a spot outside.

• Morning: coffee and pastries around Brindleyplace before the crowds arrive.
• Lunch: a pub lunch near Gas Street Basin, ideally at a table by the water.
• Evening: a drink on a terrace as the lights come on across the basin.

Practical tips

The towpaths are flat and generally easy to walk, but they can be narrow in places and slippery after rain. Keep an eye out for cyclists, give way to people working the locks and remember that the edge has no railings. If you are walking with children or dogs, keep them close, especially around the lock gates.

Most of the central network is well lit and busy during the day, but some stretches are quieter in the evenings. As with anywhere in a city, stick to the busier sections after dark and let someone know your plans if you are heading further out.

Finally, do not try to see everything. The joy of the canals is in slowing down. Stop when something catches your eye, follow a side branch if it looks interesting and let the day unfold. By the time you climb back up the steps to Broad Street, you will see Birmingham a little differently.