Bristol is a roughly circular city, caught in the angle made by the M4 and M5 motorways. The M32 runs directly into the centre, leading you towards the historic Old City and Harbourside districts – both north of the floating harbour that branches off the River Avon and separates out the area of Spike Island. Head north-west to the West End, Clifton and Clifton Village for leafy elegance, or north east to the central shopping district of Broadmead and onto bohemian Stokes Croft. If you get lost, don’t be afraid to ask someone for directions: Bristolians are notoriously friendly.
Bristol has just been voted the UK's best place to live by The Sunday Times—for the third time in four years. It’s also been named the best place to study, one of the top five most inspiring cities, and even one of the top 10 cities in the world in the past. No wonder Bristolians are so fiercely proud of their big little city.
They’re also proud of their independence: this is a city with its own elected mayor and even its own currency, the ‘Bristol pound’, to support the local economy. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well here, cultivating a host of independent shops, restaurants, cafe and bars.