27 great things to do in Bristol

1. Find the shy fountain on Anchor Road near At-Bristol, the gloves on Cotham Hill or the metal menagerie on Burlington Road in Redland.

2. Walk across all of Bristol’s 43 bridges, but cross each one only once.

3. Tell a tourist that you know Banksy.

4. Order a cider you’ve never heard of before at the Orchard pub on Spike Island. Watch out for little bits of apple still in your drink.

5. Get lost in Leigh Woods.

6. Explore Stoke Park Estate. Find the yellow Dower House, the fishing lake and Bristol’s own (Purdown) BT Tower.

7. Walk through Conham River Park, get the ferry across to Beese’s and enjoy a pint of cider in the gardens watching the boats cruise by.

8. Sit on Troopers Hill enjoying a picnic with a spectacular view of the balloons take off during the Balloon Fiesta. 

9. Follow the historical trails around Arnos Vale cemetery and enjoy cake and hot chocolate afterwards in the Atrium cafe housed above the former crematorium.

10. Watch Bristol Rovers play at the Memorial Stadium. It’s rarely pretty football, the ground is small but it’s an authentic sporting experience with a passionate crowd.

11. Slip into St Mary Redcliffe church during a lunchtime organ recital on a Thursday and sit as close as you can to the biggest bass organ pipes. Press your back against the stone until the vibrations quake your heart. 

12. Make three of the best paper aeroplanes you can. Climb the 108 tiny spiral steps to the top of Cabot Tower, then challenge two complete strangers to a flying competition.

13. Or buy two cheap bats and challenge someone to a game of table tennis at the numerous tables dotted around the city.

14. Do a charity shop crawl in Kingswood. With about 10 charity shops within a five-minute walk of each other, the High Street is a bargain hunter’s heaven.

15. Go to an instore gig at Rise on the Triangle. A cool record shop aligned with Rough Trade, which also sells film, books and clothing and collaborates with Friska cafe on the ground floor to accomodate free gigs by local and touring musicians.

16. Get fit and give a homeless mutt a good walkies at Bristol Dogs Home in St Philip’s or Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary in Barrow Gurney.

17. Sit by the bonfire in the backyard of The Black Swan on Stapleton Road, with a soundsystem in one ear and the M32 in the other.

18. Walk around the Downs in the morning mist, or around Kingsdown at night where the views are beautiful and you can imagine dinner parties in the large illuminated houses.

19. Forget about walking over the Suspension Bridge. Walk or cycle underneath it along the Pill Path.

20. Test your cycling prowess further by taking on the Bastard Hills of North Bristol. Or head south and power your way up Dundry Hill. Reward yourself with a stunning panoramic view at the top and a pint in the Dundry Inn.

21. Have a cider in St Andrew’s Park after work on a sunny day. 

22. Visit St Werburgh’s City Farm to check out the pigs, art projects, allotments and the big mugs of lovely coffee in their cafe that looks like a hobbit house designed by Gaudi.

23. Indulge your sweet tooth with a chocolate brownie at No.12 Easton, a custard tart at Hart’s Bakery or any of the cakes at Ahh Toots.

24. Discover the Floating Harbour. Say hello to the swans by the Grain Barge, watch traditional boat builders at work in Underfall Yard, find the pirate ship and then pay 80p for the ferry across the water to the ss Great Britain.

25. Buy a packet of nuts and feed the squirrels on Brandon Hill. 

26. Pick up the payphone next to a graffiti-strewn doorway or ring the doorbell underneath an Indian restaurant to find two of Bristol’s best bars.

27. Have a Lynchian love-in at Bristol’s smallest cinema – the secretive, red-draped, 11-seater kino in the back of 20th Century Flicks.