Places to visit in Bristol during Christmas

The Christmas break is surely everyone’s favourite time of year. Religious or not, the near two-week holiday is always the fortnight the vast majority of people in the UK look forward to the most, not least due to the time off work and endless supply of food and drink.

christmas baubles

One of the best parts of the Christmas break is of course the time off, whether this be from studies or work, it leaves us all with plenty of days to fill doing the things we enjoy the most with our loved ones. Bristol has long been one of the UK’s most loved cities for a day out but with so much on offer, deciding what to do can be rather tricky especially due to the range of new attractions that open every year, as well as the Bristol landmarks that have seen thousands flock to the area every single Christmas.
That is why the team here at Almero Student Mansions are excited to bring you their favourite places to visit in Bristol during the Christmas break. These are our top picks specifically for the Christmas break and will ensure you make the most of your time off from University and return in the New Year feeling refreshed and energised.

Bristol Christmas Market

Obvious we know, but Bristol Christmas Markets really are a joy to behold and allow you to see the city in all its glory. Located conveniently in the city’s Broadmead district at the Bristol Shopping Quarter, the atmosphere throughout the festive season is electric and has all the features one has come to expect from a traditional Christmas Market. You can feast on the usual German snacks and beers and grab some gifts for the special ones in your life, or of course treat yourself. If you decide to head to Bristol Christmas Market this year, be sure to check out the Jagerbarn beer garden which is new for 2016.

Opening Times: (11 Nov 2016 - 24 Dec 2016)

Bristol Cathedral

bristol cathedral

If you want to see Christmas in all its glory when visiting Bristol, then there is nothing more appropriate than the Bristol Cathedral. Students in Bristol will most likely be keen to familiarise themselves with the Grade I listed cathedral, which is now nearly 1,000 years old as it is the venue where the majority of the University’s graduations take place. Aside from that, advent and Christmas are unmistakably religious affairs and the cathedral will be celebrating all aspects of the birth of Christ from the 27th November all the way through the Festival Eucharist at 10am on Christmas Day.

 

Clifton Suspension Bridge

bristol suspension bridge

We have covered one of Bristol’s classic attractions, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a few times before at Almero Student Mansions and with good reason. The structure, regarded as one of the world’s great bridges, is a fantastic place to visit when in Bristol at any time of the year and can look particularly festive throughout December and early January. Ever the mainstay of student travel guides and a shrine for anyone interested in construction and of course, Bristol’s favourite son Brunel, the Clifton Suspension Bridge attracts visitors from across the globe. As the onsite museum will tell you, the bridge has spanned the Avon Gorge for 150 years now and joins Bristol to North Somerset. Run by the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, the structure has been solely funded by its tolls ever since it was erected and the vast majority of this goes into ensuring that it stands proud as one of the UK’s best loved attractions. The bridge and its accompanying museum is open throughout the Christmas period apart from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and one can take advantage of all sorts of tours from the Clifton Toll Booth, and there is all sorts to get up to for the little ones as well, making it a versatile day out for the entire family. For this reason, it is not hard to see why the Clifton Suspension Bridge is 2nd out of 182 things to in the city of Bristol according to everyone’s favourite aggregator, Trip Advisor.

Visiting Bristol At Christmas

In addition to these fantastic places to visit in Bristol at Christmas, the city is also jam-packed with great bars, clubs and restaurants; all of which will be bouncing with character and atmosphere during the Christmas period.

Other superb venues in Bristol such as Cribb’s Causeway, Millennium Square and nearby Longleat will also have great yuletide events taking place so these will also be well worth taking a look at. We hope you enjoy our selections and are able to visit them this Christmas as you unwind from a busy academic campaign and prepare for more of the same in 2017.