There's never a dull moment in Bristol! Ideally situated for connections to America, this university city in South-West England is a thriving centre of business and cultural activity. The second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, Bristol is also a green tourism hotspot. Twinned with Bordeaux since 1947 and just a two-hour flight away, Bristol will welcome you with open arms!
Dating back to the 11th century, Bristol (or Brycgstow in old English) is a major port located on the Avon River between the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset. After significant growth during the 17th century thanks to trade with the British colonies, the city experienced further prosperity two centuries later, through shipbuilding and the construction of the railway. Nowadays, Bristol is an aeronautic hub that has reinvented itself as a leading academic centre, renowned for its quality of life, rich cultural activity and green tourism.
An attractive port city, Bristol is globally renowned for its spectacular Clifton suspension bridge over the gorge of the Avon River. The city centre combines typically English Victorian architecture with a modern style displayed along the entirely renovated port quays and sea front, where restaurants, bars and shops abound. Docked in the harbour, Brunel's restored SS Great Britain steam liner is a must-see. There is no shortage of events in Bristol with festivals such as the British International Balloon Fiesta, (a hot air balloon festival that takes place in August in year) and popular medieval celebrations such as the Berkely Skirmish. The city has also made its mark on the music scene, as the birthplace of trip hop and home to successful groups such as Portishead and Massive Attack.
And only the bravest visitors to Bristol will be daring enough to follow the impressive tour of the city's haunted houses where you might even cross paths with the ghost of Long John Silver, the hero of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island"! It's easy to see how Stevenson was inspired by the enchanting ambiance of Bristol port when he wrote his famous novel.
For a comprehensive guide to this destination, visit visitbristol.co.uk
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Bristol
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