Make your Business thein the City! Promote your video -Learn more
South and west of Gloucester, the distinctive burr that is typical of West Country speech is immediately audible in BRISTOL . Alongside it, however, you will also hear the more strident tones of fast money and big business which in recent years have combined to re-energize the city's old commercial traditions. New technology, the arts and a vibrant youth culture have also helped to make this one of Britain's most cutting-edge cities, in the process generating some of the best nightlife in the southwest.
Weaving through its centre, the River Avon forms part of a system of waterways that made Bristol a great inland port, in later years booming on the transatlantic trafficking of such goods as rum, tobacco and slaves. In the nineteenth century the illustrious Isambard Kingdom Brunel laid the foundations of a tradition of engineering, creating two of Bristol's greatest monuments - the SS Great Britain and the lofty Clifton Suspension Bridge. More recently, spin-offs from the aerospace industry have given the city a high profile in the fields of communications, computing, design and finance. Beneath the prosperous surface, however, Bristol has its negative aspects - one of England's highest homeless populations, some of the most notorious housing estates and the highest proportion of cars to inhabitants. Nonetheless, it remains an attractive city, predominantly hilly, and surrounded by rolling countryside.
The City A good place to start exploring, the Centre was once an extension of the port but is now the traffic-ridden nucleus of the city, with cars swirling round the statues of Edmund Burke, MP for Bristol from 1774 to 1780, and local benefactor... read more >>
Bristol's numerous pubs and restaurants are nearly always buzzing - especially those around King Street. Nightlife is equally lively; if you want to check out the clubs , look for the music that suits your tastes rather than simply turning up at a venue - and be prepared to queue. You can usually find something happening every night - pick up a copy of Venue , the Bristol and Bath fortnightly listings magazine (£1.90) for details of what's on where.
Restaurants Bell's Diner 1 York Rd tel 0117/924 0357. In the fashionable Montpelier quarter (ten minutes from the bus station up Stokes Croft), this corner bistro offers an inventive menu with good-value, award-winning food. No smoking in dining area. Closed... read more >>
Pubs, bars and cafés Arnolfini Narrow Quay. This art centre serves excellent vegetarian and meat dishes, plus drinks at the bar. There are communal wooden benches, and the crowd spills onto the cobbled quayside. Avon Gorge Hotel Sion Hill. On the edge... read more >>
Clubs and venues Bierkeller All Saints St, off Broadmead tel 0117/926 8514, . Steamy venue for live music from thrash metal to 60s and 80s revival bands. Fleece and Firkin 12 St Thomas St tel 0117/929 9008. Stone-flagged ex-wool... read more >>
Bristol Videos
in the City! Promote your video - 
chat)