Attractions in Bristol - What to do, see and visit during your stay
Bristol has an amazingly rich history and you certainly won't be at a loss for things to do whether you're on a short weekend break or staying for a longer holiday with the family. A great way to find your tourist feet is to opt for one of the walking tours on offer. Many of the tours are themed and include a photography walk, a Bristol highlights walk and one that children will love - the Pirates Walk. The Pirate Walks are roughly an hour long and will tell of the city's often grim maritime history including piracy slavery and the city's illustrious position as a world trading centre. If walking is not your favourite means of getting around there are any number of boat, bus and coach tours that run throughout the year. A full list of available tours with dates and times can be found by visiting Bristol Tourist Information Centre.
Known primarily for its maritime history, no visit to Bristol could be complete without a visit to the world’s first truly great ocean liner - Isambard Kingdom Brunel's ss Great Britain in the Great Western Dockyard. Launched in 1843 her maiden voyage across the Atlantic not so much broke the previous speed record as snapped it in two. Intended initially as merely a prototype ship she actually continued sailing for over 40 years and circumnavigated the globe 32 times and notched up one million miles at sea. Travel for those in first class was incredibly stylish and your visit will not only give you a glimpse of what life on board was like for the wealthy but for Victorian passengers of all classes -right down to steerage class.
Another of Brunel's earliest triumphs is the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge which has symbolised the city of Bristol for many visitors from around the world for over 150 years. The bridge started life as the dream of a local vintner who left a fund to build a bridge over Avon Gorge. Although work began in 1831 it would be another 33 years until it was completed - 5 years after Brunel's own death. Free guided tours are available from Easter to the end of October and the views across the city are spectacular.
A great way to encourage the ambitions of any budding engineer or scientist of the future is to visit at-Bristol one of the UK's biggest interactive science centres which uses the latest multimedia and a hands on approach to explain science in all of its forms. At-Bristol has over 300 interactive exhibits - and as well as being a fantastic fun experience for children (it has been voted Visitor Attraction of the Year 2011 by British Tourism and Hospitality) At-Bristol also serves a serious scientific purpose and links in with the National Curriculum. It even has its own Planetarium. There are a number of presentations which are targeted at specific age groups from the 5 and under audience to any interested adults. At-Bristol also sells some genuinely 'different' and inspirational toys starting at, thankfully, pocket-money prices.
Lovers of the arts and theatre are more than catered for in Bristol. The city is host to the cross-artform venue Watershed that delivers a diverse programme of cultural events showcasing work from across the globe and from all sectors of the arts; film, music, theatre, design, and visual art. The more traditional Bristol Old Vic Theatre is currently enjoying a renaissance. It's Georgian auditorium was built in 1766 but has now become the setting, not only for award-winning and critically-acclaimed classics, but also new works and a range of shows with families very much in mind. Fans of comedy will want to pay a call to Jongleurs situated in the city centre. Jongleurs has a reputation for launching the careers of some of Britain's best loved stand-up comedians and is great for parties.
In addition, Bristol hosts a number of festivals throughout the year. Along with the more conventional festivals (Christmas market, the wine festival etc) and in direct contrast to it's sea-going reputation Bristol also holds the International Balloon Fiesta in mid August. The fiesta attracts over 100 hot air balloons and some half a million visitors over the 4 days of the event. Now in its 34th year, the Fiesta has become Europe's biggest and is a favourite with many families who attend year after year to enjoy this colourful spectacle. Anyone wishing to take to the skies should pre-book with one of the 4 balloon companies offering trips to the public.
