Bristol is an ideal destination for a weekend break, as well as a good base for exploring Bath, Somerset, the West Cotswolds and South Wales. The hilly college town to rival San Francisco seems to have something for everyone: a great, kid-friendly science museum, lots of waterfront restaurants, independent shops, and an international street art scene (this is Banksy’s hometown after all). After you’ve visited Nelson Street, Clifton Village. Georgian squares and museums, here are five more fun things to do.
Travel Tip: Bristol is compact and walkable, but it also has a lot of steep hills. Wear comfortable walking shoes. And if you don’t like walking much, buy a ticket for the city tour bus. You can catch it in the city center and it goes everywhere.
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Take a boat trip
Direction
Wapping Wharf, Gas Ferry Road , Bristol BS1 6UN , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 117 926 8157
Web
Visit the website
Regular ferries ply the floating harbor of Bristol, from the Cascade Steps water feature in the city center, to Temple Meads in one direction and Hotwells (where the multi-colored terraces of the houses face the water) in the other. You can hop on or off at various stops along the way or just enjoy city views on a round trip. It’s called the Floating Harbor, by the way, because of an 18th century project, involving dams and locks, that kept the Avon navigable to Bath despite the rise and fall of the tides. There are rates for adults, children, families and dealerships for seniors. The fare varies depending on the distance you travel, but most round-trip tickets cost less than £ 5. Check their website for timetables and fare structure.
A pair of Bristol Packet Boats take visitors on longer outings, including narrated tours of the city docks, cream tea cruises, and monthly sightseeing cruises that sail through the Avon Gorge, under the Brifel Clifton Suspension Bridge and towards the Bristol Channel. Ships depart from Wapping Wharf near the SS Great Britain or the Bristol Packet pontoon basin near the city center. The adult fare for the 45-minute City Docks Tour is £ 5.50 and for the three-and-a-half hour Avon Gorge cruise is £ 15.50 (in 2013). The company also runs occasional five-hour one-way cruises to Bath in the summer season. Check their website for updated hours and prices.
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Visit the SS Great Britain
Direction
Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd , Bristol BS1 6TY , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 117 926 0680
Web
Visit the website
The 19th century engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel is credited by many for changing the face of transportation in the modern era. From a base in Bristol, he created the design for an impressive bridge over the Avon Gorge, was behind the design and development of the Great Western Railway from London to Bristol and advanced and experimental steamships.
When the SS Great Britain (now on a purpose-built dry dock near Wapping Wharf, which itself is an engineering marvel) was launched in 1843, it was the world’s first oceanic iron steamboat. For about a decade in the mid-19th century, it was the longest passenger ship in the world and, with its massive propellers powered by a 1000-hp steam engine, it was the most powerful. And it was also the first iron ship to cross the Atlantic, and it did so in 14 days in 1845.
The ship was part of Brunel’s dream of extending his Great Western Railway service across the Atlantic on a ship to New York. But it was not for long. In 1846 it suffered damage due to a navigation error and the high costs of building it, running it and repairing its post paid to the business of its patrons.
After the rescue, she brought immigrants to Australia, was a coal hauler, and was eventually abandoned for use as a warehouse in the Falklands in the 1930s.
In 1970, she was refloated and towed back to Bristol, where it took her more than 30 years, and massive infusions of funds, to bring her back to life. In 2005 it was opened to the public. Today, visitors can explore its spacious cabins, its first-class saloon, its mirrored boardwalk, and its accommodations for transportation; see its structure and engines; Learn the stories of many of the passengers and crew that sailed in it, and discover the mysterious disappearance of Captain John Gray, who went missing on a voyage from Australia in 1872.
It is fascinating and well worth a visit. Take one of Bristol’s ferries or a tour bus from the city center to get there. If you have a romantic bent, you can even get married and have your wedding on board.
The SS Great Britain is open every day except Christmas Eve, Christmas and the second Monday in January. Hours are seasonal. Please visit their website for current opening hours and ticket price range.
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Shop and nosh in the old town
Direction
One Millennium Square, Anchor Rd , Bristol BS1 5DB , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 117 915 1000
Web
Visit the website
Despite being a target for Hitler’s bombers in World War II, Bristol has managed to retain a compact “Old City” between Queen Square and Nelson Street. It’s primarily Georgian, but explore the alleys and cobbled streets and walk up the Christmas Steps to find genuinely old medieval buildings, dozens of independent shops, and an arts district.
Right in the center, St Nicholas Market claims to have Bristol’s largest collection of independent merchants. A London newspaper named it one of the best markets in Britain. I won’t argue with either of you. It is huge, with two glass arcades, a covered market in a gigantic market. You can buy just about everything you need and a lot you never imagined you needed, from sunglasses covered in a pink flower pattern (I confess, guilty of the charges) to cheerful rags from unknown designers, to weekly shopping.
If you can squeeze into a table along the Glass Arcade, have lunch or a snack at one of the popular food stalls that line it. I liked the style of the “Eata Pitta” servers, but I never got close enough to test their products. Pie Minister – Cake makers that have spread from Bristol to the best supermarkets and delicatessens in the country have two stalls in the St. Nicholas Market.
If you have time to linger, catch a play at the Bristol Old Vic – it is the oldest continuously operating English theater.
04
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Have fun in a museum
Direction
Queens Rd , Bristol BS8 1RL , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 117 922 3571
Web
Visit the website
Bristol museums are not the traditional galleries that you can find in other cities. The same lively and independent spirit that inhabits much of the city also animates its museums. @Bristol, the city’s new science center, is more of a playground than a museum. M Shed occupies a former 1950s dockside transit shed alongside a line of four cranes from Bristol’s heyday as one of Britain’s most important commercial ports. Inside, it displays interactive exhibits, including personal reflections from Britons and visitors, telling the story of Bristol from prehistoric times to modern times. Even the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, the most traditional of the city’s museums, approaches its task with a sense of fun. Usually something out of rhythm happens. In 2009, The ‘Banksy the Bristol Museum’ created quite a stir with the famous street artist who subverted the traditional museum displays throughout the building. If you are traveling with a dinosaur enthusiast, visit this museum to see the Scelidosaur , the most complete dinosaur skeletons ever found in Britain – a family group of adults and two juveniles.
Bristol museums must be doing something right because they claim to be among the highest repeat visit rates of any museum in the UK. And everyone is free to visit as well.
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And speaking of Banksy …
If the weather is nice, why not see if you can find any of Banksy’s works in town? Bristol is the street artist’s secret city, but many of his works have been removed and sold or occasionally disfigured. Visit Bristol has organized a Banksy walking tour that will take you around the city to visit six works of art by Banksy. I saw Banksy’s “The High Hanged Lover” (pictured) on the side of a building on Frogmore Street. The best place to see is on Park Street. The irony in this image is that when it was painted, the building was in use as a sexual health clinic for students at the University of Bristol.
For a better view of Banksy’s work, visit me on Facebook
