Glasgow: City of Culture of 1990

Each year the EU nominates a city that is renowned for its high standards of contemporary art, music, literature, drama and architectural beauty. Cities of Culture have included Athens, West Berlin, Paris and Lisbon.

The choice of Glasgow as a capital of culture in 1990 has come as a surprise to many people - even within Scotland. Just the mention of Glasgow usually conjures up images of failed industrialism, a drab city with dirty stone buildings and the rusting relics of abandoned shipyards and industrial works. Visitors to Scotland are often told to steer clear of this "rough and depressing" place.

Perhaps the best place to begin a tour of the city is at Glasgow Cathedral. Here in the sixth century a Celtic missionary known as Mungo is said to have built a simple church made out of timber and wattle. He named the spot "Glasgu" which means "dear green place" in Gaelic.

Much of the present day cathedral was built in the thirteen century, Glasgow was considered second only to London in trade and industry. Mighty steam ships built along the River Clyde sailed every ocean; locomotives built in Glasgow pulled trains across almost every continent.

A class of rich industrial by barons emerged and flaunted wealth by building opulent townhouses and public buildings. Glasgow today retains some of Europe's finest examples of Victorian architecture, such as Kelvin Grove Museum and the City Chambers. The Chambers contain a marvel of Victorian excess - a Venetian mosaic made up of more than a million half-inch tiles, put in place by hand.

No mention of architecture in the city can be made without reference to Charles Rennie Mackintosh - the Glasgow-born master of Art Nouveau. Mackintosh, working at the turn of twentieth century, originated a distinctive design style which still influences artists and architects today. Many of the architect's creations can still be visited in Glasgow.

No visit would be completed without a trip to the Burrell Collection housed on the vast Pollock Estate located within the city limits. This award-winning museum features more then 8,000 art objects collected from all over the world by shipping magnate Sir William Burrell, who donated the collection to the city in his will.

Yet Glasgow's claim to being city of culture does not rest solely on its historical treasures. The city supports a dynamic arts community, the fruits of which can be seen in dozens of galleries and in major theatres such as the Citizen and King's. Each year, the city hosts Mayfest (an international arts festival) as well as the Glasgow Jazz Festival and an international folk festival. And few cities can rival Glasgow's output of outstanding rock bands, which has included such bands has Simple Minds, Deacon Blue, Wet Wet Wet, Blue Nile and Texas.