"Floating around Bristol" a Bristol Travel Page by diocletianvs

In February 2007 I had an opportunity to attend a conference in Bristol. This was my first visit to the UK - after reading most of the 1,222 pages of Rough Guide to Britain I decided to spend an extra day in Bristol followed by day and a half in nearby Cardiff.

City's history of an important port and industrial centre was promising. (After all, Genova and Hamburg are high on my list of favorite places I've visited.) Like most of the old European harbours, old docks that formed port of Bristol have lost their economic importance but cranes and warehouses were still there, waiting to be integrated into some future development projects.

It is hard to say that Bristol is beautiful or charming. It is definitely one of the cities architects and planners should visit - there are lots of mistakes they can learn from. Bristol was badly damaged in bombings in the WWII and even more badly damaged by planners and architects in 1950s and 60s.

For charm you have to go up the hill to the suburb of Clifton, to enjoy 19th century terrace houses and crescents. But the real thing about Bristol still floats around its Floating Harbour - among warehouses, cranes and railway tracks. New shiny development areas, two universities and several research centres are signs of city's search of new ways in today's post-industrial era.