Overview to Brighton: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Brighton Information
- Getting around in Brighton
- Things to do in Brighton
- Where to stay in Brighton
- Brighton street map
When many travelers think of Brighton, nightlife is first and foremost in their mind. In addition to all the visitors who come for the quality (and quantity) of its clubs and bars, Brighton has a large and boisterous student community who practically guarantee a memorable night out any day of the week.
The well-established gay scene in Kemptown and the quieter, residential area of Hove (with a couple of good live music venues) offer a slightly different vibe to the more manic waterfront scene. Chic cafés and restaurants spread out across town to complete the picture.
Unsurprisingly, the Brighton calendar is a congested one. The Brighton Festival is one of the pre-eminent arts festivals in England, whilst the city also holds a huge Pride Event and massive parties and concerts are often thrown on the beach during the summer.
But in amongst all this frantic activity, Brighton has more sedate charms. The town has dozens of fantastic independent shops and boutiques which draw floods of people down from London to browse through.
Brighton Pier is an old-fashioned British seaside resort attraction – glitzy and pleasantly naff. Continuing this theme, George IV’s lavish Royal Pavilion (with its Taj Mahal-inspired domes) is a charming monument to high kitsch.
A stroll along the seafront brings you eventually to the city’s other pier. For many years, the atmospheric - if rather eerie - the remains of West Pier have continued to slowly but surely slide into the sea. But recent developments seem to have stopped its decline, and fans of the Grade One listed building can look to the future with hope.
Brighton’s reputation as a lively seaside resort is rather bigger within the United Kingdom than outside it. But those backpackers in Europe who do head to the town on the south coast - often unaware of its peculiar attractions - are in for a treat. Cosmopolitan, cocky and conveniently located an hour from London, Brighton is the ideal place for a decadent weekend.
