Stopover guide

Bristol is the largest city in southwest England, an area known as the West Country, and boasts quality historical attractions and superb shopping and nightlife. The city centre is a delight for strolling, where pedestrianised shopping streets and there is delectable architecture abound.

Attractions:

The biggest attraction in Bristol is the awesome Clifton Suspension Bridge, which was designed and built by English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century.
The SS Great Britain was the world’s first great ocean liner and is now moored near the foot of the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Bristol Cathedral is one of Bristol’s star attractions, a magnificent 19th century structure with a medieval core.
Another house of worship worthy of exploration is the stunning church of St Mary Redcliffe, located near the town centre.
Corn street is Bristol’s old commercial centre and it comes complete with fine Georgian buildings including the Corn Exchange and the lively St Nicholas' Market.
There are several museums in the city including At-Bristol, a vibrant waterfront education and entertainment complex featuring details on Bristol’s pull during the industrial revolution.

Eating and Shopping: Bristol University has certainly had an impact on the eating and shopping prowess of Bristol, with the Quarters area offering numerous cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs that offer a unique atmosphere. King street offers the best of the city’s pubs and bars, while Park street, Queen’s road and Whiteladies road have the pick of the wine bars and quality restaurants.

Shopping options in Bristol are excellent, with fashion, jewellery, crafts and antiques all available. Bristol's West End, Clifton Village and Whiteladies road have a good supply of the above items, as does the St Nicholas’ Market on Corn street, a 250-plus year old market with lots of ambience. Broadmead Shopping Centre and The Galleries on the outskirts of Bristol have the best of the usual big brand name stores.

Day trips and tours: Bath is probably the biggest nearby attraction to Bristol, famed for its Roman spas and elegant Pump Room. Bath is only a few minutes’ drive southeast of Bristol and it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Just to the northeast of Bristol are the beautiful Cotswold Hills, where there are many quaint and typical English country villages and lots of opportunity to go walking on the shallow hills. The valley of the River Severn is also in the region.

Weston-super-Mare is one of the UK’s most popular traditional seaside resorts and is not far to the southwest of Bristol. Attractions here are ideal for the whole family and include the excellent Sealife Centre, the Helicopter Museum and a lovely beach for the summer months.

Glastonbury is also fairly close to Bristol, a place of myths and legends and the birthplace of Christianity in England. Glastonbury Abbey still holds great appeal and is arguably the final resting place King Arthur.

Britsol Tourist Information Centres

Tourist Information Centre
Wildwalk@Bristol
Harbourside
BS1 5DB
Tel: +44 906 711 2191
Fax: +44 177 915 7340
Email: ticharbourside@destinationbristol.co.uk

Travel Bristol Centre
11 Colston Avenue
BS1 4UB
Tel: +44 906 711 2191
Fax: +44 117 915 7340