WHY BRISTOL IS WORTH A VISIT!

On the journey back from South Devon, my boyfriend and I took a detour to discover Bristol city centre. It was a cute last-minute plan and my god it was worth it. I admit, maybe the weather being 27 degrees contributed greatly, but we’d never been to Bristol before, and in just a few hours, we explored so so much…

1. Car parking was cheap and cheerful

We parked in West End multi-storey car park, which was only £4 all day on a Sunday (happy smiles all round… treated ourselves to a footlong sub with the spare change… winners! – also there are 10 subways in the city … DAYUM!)

2. Shopping Quarter was SUBLIME

Brand new outlets with practically all top high-street brands like Ted Baker, River Island, Zara, Topshop, and a massive, and I mean massive Pull and Bear! I’ll definitely be doing by Christmas shopping there! Beautiful complex.

A spontaneous find in the middle of Millennium Square was a monstrous disco-mirror-ball which obviously required an attempted cute selfie. I loved coming across this landmark, as I’d never seen anything like it before in my life!

3. Harbours, boats and more harbours 

I’m a harbour-obsessed girl, with a sailor boyfriend, and a dream to visit every port in the country! I can’t think of anything more tranquil than sitting on the edge of a harbour, watching the boats dock and then go out to sea. There are many outdoor-seated fine-dining resturants and idyllic cafes around the docklands to choose from. Such a picturesque place for a fancy lunch or romantic evening dinner.

4. The Cabot Tower is basically “Rapunzel’s holiday home”

This 19th century historical tower provides the best opportunity to take the perfect panoramic photograph of Bristol city centre. Unforgettable views at a breathtaking height, this is definitely worth the seemingly never-ending narrow-winding staircase climb. For free things to do in Bristol this is definitely top of the list!

5. Museums and Art Galleries

Street art is on nearly every wall across the city, especially commemorating the contemporary graffiti artist, Banksy.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery was definitely worth exploring; especially on a student-budget as its free-entry!. With three floors to view collections of art, history and archaeology, there is plenty to discover and learn. As a fan of historical architecture, the building was a key contributor to why I enjoyed this visit so much; the construction, interior and master staircase was breathtaking!

6. Endless choice of restaurants and bars 

There’s something special and quite romantic about sitting outside a public place to have a drink with close ones, while watching the world go by. I guess it helped being 27 degrees; t’was an absolutely glorious afternoon spent in the sun. And I may also add a quick appreciation for the bunting across every street! Oh my, I bloody love the tradition of endless bunting, so authentically British!

Though in all honesty, on a student-budget, my boyfriend and I had a drink as part of our subway meal-deal, rather than a pint on a bench. Though if I was to return, I’d definitely try these blissful family pubs and home-brewed ales.

In review, this spontaneous trip ended out to be a wonderful day and one to remember. I love exploring new places – we literally walked around without a map, bumping into new sites and monuments, it truly was fascinating!

Please comment if you’ve been to Bristol before or if I’ve convinced you to go 🙂 Or maybe even a suggestion for where I could travel to next… Cardiff is definitely on my list!

Love, Libbie x