Top places to visit in Bristol
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Famous for its suspension Bridge, Banksy street art, Pirates, North American expeditions and Wallace and Gromit, the city of Bristol is a city with its own unique identity full of creativity, music and food.
It is the 8th largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 724,000. Affectionately known by the locals as ‘Brizzle’, Bristol is a city where history, art, culture and creativity all meet.
It’s community spirit is what makes this city such a wonderful place and it is one of the UK’s most popular tourist populations. Named the best city in Britain to live in 2014 and 2017 it also won the European Green Capital Award in 2015.
You won’t be short of things to see and do during your stay. Here are our top picks to explore in the city.
Did you know that Clifton Suspension Bridge is the most Instagrammable place in Bristol and the seventh most popular place in the whole of the UK? It is arguably Bristol’s most recognisable structure, famously designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is free to enter, and hosts wonderful collections of art, nature and history. With regularly changing exhibitions, you’ll be sure to find out something new after every visit.
Another of Brunel’s creations, this ship is one of the most important ships in the world. Launching in 1843, SS Great Britain was given the name ‘the greatest experiment since the Creation’.
Another of Brunel’s creations, this ship is one of the most important ships in the world. Launching in 1843, SS Great Britain was given the name ‘the greatest experiment since the Creation’.
Located in Clifton, the Zoo states its mission is to ‘maintain and defend biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider understanding of the natural world’.
Covering an area of 70 acres, this dock once hosted sailors and merchants where they would trade goods and set sail for voyages. Today, this beautiful Harbourside is filled with restaurants, bars, shops and hotels.
This is Bristol’s biggest aquarium home to thousands of aquatic creatures in over 40 displays. Includes tropical fish, sharks and seahorses.
If shopping is your thing, then head down to Cabot Circus. The city’s largest shopping centre, this centre features many high street shops, cafes and restaurants.
Arnolfini is an international arts centre and gallery located on the Harbourside of the city. It has a packed full programme of contemporary art exhibitions, artist’s performance, music and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and cinema. There is also a specialist art bookshop and a café bar.
Free to enter, the M Shed is a museum all about Bristol and its history. Explore the city through time: its places, its people and their stories.
The first of its kind in England, The Wave is an inland-surfing destination where everyone can surf on consistent safe waves all year round. Its Wavegarden Cove technology provides over 1,000 waves an hour providing a surfing experience designed for all.
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