Once a mining town, Leeds gradually became a town specialising in retail trade and light industry. A real revolution for this city which particularly suffered from the recession in the 70s and 80s. This difficult period seems to be over and Leeds has since become a cultural centre on which to rely as evidenced by the abundance of museums such as the Royal Armouries, or the Leeds City Art Gallery which brings together one of the best mixes of British art of the twentieth century. Leeds is also a city famous for its theatre scene whose best known addresses are the West Yokshire Playhouse; the Grand Theatre or the City Varieties. But Leeds has also established itself as a shopping destination in its own right. Without having the gargantuan dimensions of the British capital, Leeds offers a rather vast choice of shops and shopping centres. During your holidays in Leeds, you will be able to walk in its downtown with a pedestrian street and discover... more than 1000 shops. The biggest street in the city centre is called Briggate and brings together British department stores like Harvey Nichols. In Leeds, art and culture enthusiasts will be delighted, there are no less than 7 galleries and museums to discover in the Civic Quarter, north-west of the city centre. Further south east of the city centre, in the Leeds Dock district, is the Royal Armouries Museum, one of the country's best museums for budding historians and adventure fans. It houses the largest collection of weapons, armour and artillery in the United Kingdom. You can notably see there the original armor of the famous Henri VIII (a MUST SEE for the fans of the series Les Tudors) or reconstitutions of fights of swords and even games of yesteryear! And all for free again! Access is free... so there is no reason not to go there and admire the sublime works of the great masters of that time.For luxury shoppers, Victoria Quarter is the place to go: this commercial area covers two magnificent passages housing some 70 stores including prestigious brands such as Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood or Nicholas Deakin. No stay in Leeds without visiting its magnificent Catholic cathedral, dedicated to St Anne. A first cathedral was destroyed in 1900 but rebuilt four years later, and underwent renovation in 2006. You can also visit in the suburbs of Leeds, the remains of the Cistercian abbey Kirstall which dates back to the twelfth century. Since the early 90s, Leeds has built a solid reputation as a clubbing destination and nightclub addresses abound. Some of the most traditional clubs include Commercial Dance, Cheesy Chart, Heaven and Hell and The Grand Arcade. For the more sophisticated, Leeds offers theme clubs like Bondi Beach and Baja Beach Club where staff members dance in bikinis. With one-third of the student population, Leeds has been able to offer this and other students what they need to keep them entertained.Very active in terms of gastronomy in particular, the city has now hosted the "Food & Drink Festival" for ten years, and we were lucky enough to arrive for the opening evening at the chic "Epernay", where cocktails and mini-burgers were served. You will find different styles throughout the city, from pubs to more inspired local cuisine.