Bristol Information

Bristol is an amazing place to live. It’s got a vibrant atmosphere, friendly people and a great academic reputation. It has been named as one of the 10 happiest cities to work as well as the kindest city in the UK. With two universities, 45 religions and nearly a hundred different languages spoken in Bristol, it’s a multicultural place. It’s also been ranked as the UK’s most artistic city, home to street artist Banksy, and it holds many festivals throughout the year. Bristol has over 400 parks and gardens - it is both relaxed and environmentally friendly.

We love it and we hope you’ll feel the same.

The Downs is the biggest park in Bristol. It’s at the top of Whiteladies Road, not far from Clifton. It’s a great place to go running, play football, grab an ice-cream and look at the view of the Suspension Bridge. Lots of different events happen here over the year - travelling theme parks, circuses, concerts and food festivals.

Stokes Croft is the artistic heart of Bristol. If you take a walk around this area, you’ll see lots of graffiti, new popular restaurants and independent shops. It’s a little bit rough, but perfect to explore on a busy Saturday with friends. This area isn’t too far from the city centre and has the most unique style in Bristol.

The harbourside is a great place to relax. It’s close to the city centre and has a range of interesting places to visit by the water. There are museums, cafes, restaurants, art galleries, cinemas, clubs and even the science museum.

On a sunny day, there’s nothing better than taking the ferry across the water and having a drink at Wapping Wharf.

Bristol City Centre is the shopping heart of our city. You have Broadmead (the pedestrian shopping streets), The Galleries (an indoor shopping mall) and Cabot Circus (the most modern shopping mall with in-built cinema and restaurants). All of these are next to each other and include a huge variety of shops, cafes, banks and stalls.

Bristol Bus Station is also very close to the city centre, so it’s an important place to find!

Park Street is right next to Bristol University’s Wills Building and is always full of students. It’s where you can find Asian supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, clubs and shops. It leads to Bristol Cathedral, The Hippodrome theatre, the harbourside and the city centre. There’s also a main bus stop at the bottom of the road which can easily get you to the city centre.

Clifton is an important part of Bristol - it’s where you can find the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, Ashton Court and some very traditional architecture. Clifton is close to Bristol University and it has lots of trees and parks. The streets are steep, but that means that you get some amazing views!

Stoke Park is an open area near UWE Frenchay campus. Within the park are two small lakes and a Dower House, which has now been converted into flats. It’s a visible landmark when driving in and out of Bristol, and is a great place to exercise if you’re living near UWE.

Bristol is in a great location for travelling. It’s easy to get to other cities by bus, train or even plane. You can get to London in under three hours and Bristol airport flies to many destinations across Europe. Bristol isn’t far from Wales, Bath and there are plenty of small towns with traditional architecture to see nearby, too.

Getting around the city is easy with buses, local trains, e-scooters, taxis and bikes. Students get discounts on most modes of transport so lucky you. However, we always say you get to know a city best if you walk around!