The largest city in the South West of England, Bristol is a bustling, lively commercial city set around one of England’s most historic harbours. It has a mix of award winning attractions and world-class events and festivals as well as tempting shops and markets. It is a city that is undergoing transformation of many of its cultural and sporting facilities. Work has started to transform the old Industrial Museum on the Harbourside into a £24 million new museum for Bristol; a new foyer building for the Grade II listed music venue Colston Hall is taking shape in the city centre; a Leisure Centre with 50metre pool is planned for Hengrove Park in South Bristol and a new cinema complex will open later this year as part of the Cabot Circus shopping centre development. Bristol offers some of the best shopping in Britain with Broadmead and The Mall offering top high street names, and Clifton Village showcasing independent local labels.

A sporting city

Bristol is a city where many people participate in sport. Each year around 15,000 people take part in the Bristol Half Marathon – it’s route passing some of the city’s most dramatic landmarks. Bristol is also home to two circus schools, one of the UK’s first climbing centres, an active skateboarding and BMX scene and one of the largest football leagues in the UK. 

Bristol is home to two keenly supported football clubs; Bristol Rovers in the north of the city and Bristol City in the south. Bristol Rugby Club and the Gloucestershire Cricket Club are also based in the city – with both clubs regularly hosting international matches.

Things to see and do in Bristol

The Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the beautiful Avon Gorge, is a symbol of the city of Bristol. Designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the bridge attracts thousands of visitors each year. One of Brunel’s’ other masterpieces is the SS Great Britain which has been restored to its glory for visitors to enjoy!
The city’s waterfront offers beautiful galleries as well as  imaginative and futuristic visitor attractions. Explore-At Bristol, one of the UK’s leading science centres, hosts a new exhibit for 2008 called Love Sport. As well as exploring the science of sport you can get active and try your hand at new sports, both familiar and unusual.

Bristol Zoo Gardens is one of the oldest zoos in the world. The latest exhibit is the Monkey Jungle where monkeys mingle with gorillas and where you can enjoy up close encounters with lemurs.

Where to stay

When attending the UK School Games, why not make the most out of your time in Bristol and extend your visit? There is plenty of choice when it comes to finding a nice place to stay, from waterfront hotels in the city to private guest houses and cottages in the country. For further information and to make accommodation bookings online, please visit the city’s official tourism website.