Bristol is the largest city in southwest England, with around half a million people, and it has more character than most British cities twice its size. Historically a county in its own right, it sits between Somerset and Gloucestershire and made its fortune as a major trading port — first in wine and spirits, then in shipping and engineering.
The city's most famous son is Isambard Kingdom Brunel, whose Clifton Suspension Bridge still spans the Avon Gorge in dramatic fashion. His SS Great Britain, the first iron-hulled, screw-propeller-driven ocean liner, sits in the same dry dock where she was built and is one of the best maritime museums in the country. John Cabot sailed from Bristol harbour in 1497 to reach North America — a replica of his ship, the Matthew, is moored in the floating harbour — and the city has been looking outward ever since.
Modern Bristol is known for its independent spirit. The harbourside has been transformed into a lively mix of restaurants, galleries, and bars. Stokes Croft is the street art capital of Britain (this is Banksy's home town). Clifton, up on the hill, is elegant and village-like with good shops and restaurants. The music scene — from trip-hop to drum and bass — punches well above its weight. Bristol Beacon is the main concert hall; Bristol Old Vic on King Street is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world.