Culture & Heritage

The Isle of Man has a unique and varied heritage which covers many thousands of years.

Visit one of Europe’s best preserved Medieval castles, Castle Rushen, to see how the Kings and Lords of Mann lived or follow in the footsteps of Christian missionaries and Viking warriors at Peel Castle in the west of the Island.

There’s also the opportunity to find out what life was like for the Island’s miners by visiting the world’s largest working waterwheel in Laxey which used to pump water out of the deep lead mines.

Visit the folk village of Cregneash to get a taste of life in a typical 19th-century Manx crofting community.

A trip to Tynwald Hill, one of the Island’s most distinctive landmarks, will provide insight into the Island’s strong identity. As a signal of the Isle of Man’s independence as a self-governing Crown Dependency, the four-tired hill is said to be made with soil from all of the Island’s 17 ancient parishes.

It's possible to see the majority of the Island by travelling on the impressive network of heritage railways powered by steam, electricity and even horsepower. Many of the heritage attractions are located close to the railway stops making it an easy and mesmerising way to indulge in the Isle of Man’s colourful history.

You can enjoy a ride along Douglas Promenade on a horse tram, or take the Manx Electric Railway to Laxey to uncover the Island’s mining heritage and travel on to Ramsey taking in spectacular sea views. Or how about riding on an impressive Victorian Steam Railway to the south of the Island to explore the former home of the Manx Parliament at the Old House of Keys?