Visit Halton is the rural hinterland to get active and explore in nature.

Halton is perfectly placed as the rural hinterland in Liverpool City Region. The borough offers so much to entice you to get out and about and explore. From the vast number of parks and open spaces, with Runcorn Hill Park, Victoria Park and Hale Park recently awarded the prestigious Green Flag status. A trip to Runcorn Hill Park and Victoria Park isn’t complete without a stop at Esposito’s to sample the delicious gelatos ice creams, homemade bakes, Italian coffee and artisan sandwiches. The only hard part is deciding which flavours to try. The Glasshouse at Victoria Park has many activities on throughout the year, such as The Butterfly House from May – August which is a tropical oasis, there are also many craft events and eco-makers markets, so take a look at what is going on before planning a visit.

Looking for a more adrenaline filled activity, why not hit the dry Ski Slope in Runcorn for lessons or try tubing with the family. Planet Ice is the perfect place for a spot of leisurely ice skating or to take a lesson.

Take advantage of the many pathways, cycleways and bridleways and explore the area at your own pace. The Trans Pennine Trail from Hale Village to Spike Island in Widnes is an enjoyable route for getting out and about in Halton. Halton is served by three canals, Sankey Canal, The Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal, which provides miles of towpaths and walkways to be explored.

A trip to the DCBL Stadium is a must to watch Widnes Vikings rugby league club or if American football is more your thing, you can catch a Halton Spartans game. The stadium also hosts a number of exciting live events throughout the year, so be sure to check out what is on when you visit.

Get out and explore the many green and open spaces in the Halton rural hinterland:

• Cycling & Walking paths – The Region’s Green Sustainable Travel Corridors Project along with the public rights of way within the Borough, will deliver a 600km network to support the existing 106 cycle routes, which will encourage more cycling and walking.

• Nature – Green Belt covers approximately one third of the land area of the Borough and contains the smaller settlements of Moore, Daresbury and Preston-on-the-Hill, with Hale Village inset within the Green Belt. The Borough boasts one Ramsar Site, one Special Protection Area (SPA), three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), ten Local Nature Reserves (LNRs), 47 Local Wildlife Sites and 12 Open Spaces of Green Flag award standard. With plenty of pathways, waterways and bridleways including the Trans-Pennine Trail which makes its way through Hale Village, Halebank and West Bank before taking riders onto Spike Island and a new 9km cycle route will provide a new green travel link to Daresbury.

• Outdoor parks – With plenty of parkland and open spaces, visitors are spoilt for choice in Halton, including Victoria, Phoenix, Runcorn Hill, Wigg Island Community Park and Pickerings Pasture Local Nature Reserve.

• Planet Ice is Europe’s No 1 for ice leisure in Widnes. You can get on the ice for fun or take a lesson. Why not take in an ice hockey game and watch the Widnes Wilds in action.

• Runcorn Ski Centre This twin attraction offers something unique to visitors, the mile long railway ride connects to the 90m, 40m, and 30m slopes of the Ski Centre at the main Railway station

• Stadiums – The DCBL Stadium is a sports stadium and event centre and is Halton’s primary venue for events.