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Bristol

Bristol is a beautiful, vibrant and fashionable city. Its harbour, which weaves its way through the heart of the city, is lined with restaurants, cafes, museums, arts centres and galleries. The narrow winding streets, radiating from the water's edge, lead to elegant parks and squares and stunning architecture.

Bristol's diversity shines brightly in its many distinctive quarters. Georgian Clifton and Whiteladies Road are filled with antique shops, restaurants and boutiques. In the Old City, grand, dignified buildings rub shoulders with Bristol's fashionable vision of the future along the reborn harbourside.

In the last decade, Bristol has renewed its links with the sea in a way that has revitalised the entire city. The harbourside, the driving force of Bristol in the days of pioneering seafarers and industrial barons, has now returned to the centre stage taking the city into the 21st century in a confident and supremely stylish way.

For a real flavour of the city, take a ferry cruise around the historic harbour and relax in one of the contemporary restaurants and trendy cafe bars overlooking the water. Along the river, you'll find the icon of Bristol, Brunel's magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge.

Bristol's cutting-edge entertainment scene and cosmopolitan surroundings are redefining city life. Museums, shopping, nightlife and the arts combine to create a place quite unlike any other. Ancient inns, cobbled streets and grand edifices share the city centre with innovative new architecture that epitomises Bristol's ceaseless spirit of adventure.

Festivals, celebrating everything from film, music and dance to hot-air ballooning, harbour life, organic food and wildlife, showcase a rapidly evolving cultural scene. Food lovers will be spoilt for choice with award-winning restaurants and weekly markets selling delicious organic local produce. From top high street names to independent local labels, from markets and antique stalls to art and craft gift shops, there is something for all shoppers!

There's an outstanding choice of museums, galleries and attractions. The award-winning British Empire and Commonwealth Museum explores the history of Britain's overseas empire through interactive exhibits, rare objects and amazing films and photographs. The City Museum and Art Gallery features outstanding Egyptology and natural history alongside world-famous paintings, and the Arnolfini, a leading centre for contemporary arts.

The jewel in the harbourside crown is Brunel's ss Great Britain, Brunel's great Victorian steam ship and winner of the 2006 Gulbenkian Prize for Museums and Galleries.

Just out of the city are two stunning historic properties - Berkeley Castle, England's oldest inhabited castle and most historic home Tyntesfield House, a magnificent Victorian country house which has survived with its historic contents, gardens, park and estate buildings intact.

Bristol Accommodations

Stay either at the modern 4 star Mercure Brigstow Hotel with its beautiful waterside location in the city centre, or enjoy the luxury of Thornbury Castle (20 minutes north west of the city), the only Tudor castle in England to be open as a hotel.

Bristol Itineraries

View suggested itineraries for Bristol.