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Extending Your Stay

Set around an historic harbour, Bristol is a bustling, commercial and creative city that in recent years has undergone a renaissance, finding its heart and soul as never before. It is lively and dynamic, with a mix of award-winning attractions, world-class events and festivals and enticing shops and markets, and is successful as both a leisure and business destination.

Weaving its way through the city, Bristol's revitalised harbour is lined with trendy bars, restaurants and cafes, many housed in converted warehouses, reminders of the city's rich maritime heritage. The waterfront offers inspirational art galleries, imaginative and futuristic visitor attractions such as Explore-At-Bristol, and two of Britain's most historic ships, Brunel's ss Great Britain and The Matthew. A fabulous way of taking in the sights and sounds of the harbourside is to take a Bristol Ferry Boat trip.

Spanning away from the water's edge, winding streets lead to elegant parks and squares, historic buildings such as Bristol Cathedral and other key attractions including the City Museum and Art Gallery. The stunning Georgian architecture of Clifton, with the iconic landmark of Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge, and one of the oldest zoos in the world - Bristol Zoo Gardens.

Out and about, Bristol offers a perfect base for exploring the wider region. The city is just 15 minutes by train from the world heritage city of Bath, where you can discover the remarkable Roman Baths and Thermae Bath Spa, Britain's original and only natural thermae spa. The Somerset coast and countryside and the glorious Cotswolds are also within easy reach. Attractions are plentiful with historic Berkeley Castle, Avon Valley Railway, Cheddar Caves & Gorge, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre at Slimbridge, Tyntesfield Estate and the beauty of Westonbirt Arboretum all within a short drive of Bristol. The city also provides an ideal stopover point for onward journeys to Devon and Cornwall.

If you are seeking retail therapy, Bristol offers some of the best shopping in Britain. The highlight for 2008 is the opening of Cabot Circus on 25th September.

The £500m Cabot Circus scheme will feature an expanded shopping district with 120 new stores - a mix of inspirational fashion retailers and prime high street chains. The new shopping quarter will include a landmark House of Fraser store and a Harvey Nichols boutique catapulting Bristol into the elite of UK shopping destinations. In addition, the historic buildings at Quakers Friars will become the centrepiece of a new European style piazza, featuring apartments, a new hotel, shops, a 13-screen cinema, restaurants and cafes as well as a brasserie from internationally-renowned French chef Raymond Blanc.

In addition, Broadmead and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway offer all the top high street names, with Clifton Village and Park Street showcasing more local and independent labels. Historic St Nicholas Market, located on Corn Street offers an intriguing choice of stalls and small shops and the popular weekly farmers market is held there every Wednesday.