Attractions
Attractions
With 5 miles of coastline, 12 theatres, 30 nightclubs, 5 casinos, 23 parks, and more restaurants per head of population anywhere in the UK outside of London, Brighton & Hove is one of the UK's leading tourist destinations. It is not surprising that it attracts over 8 million visitors a year!
The Lanes
The Lanes, the historical heart of the fishing town of Brighthelmstone, is an exciting area of winding alleys and hidden squares and passages. This area offers an interesting mix of record/CD shops, specialist piercing, clothing, 'new-age' shopping, souvenirs and antiques. The Lanes is also a popular celebrity choice for jewellery shopping!
There are also plenty of coffee shops and restaurants, from seafood specialities to gourmet vegetarian, as well as the traditional pubs and franchised eateries.
North Laine
Between North Street and Trafalgar Street, the station and the Royal Pavilion, lies the hip and funky area of North Laine. Known as the 'cultural quarter' of the city, it boasts 300 individual shops, as well as cafes, bars, pubs and theatres. Shop to your heart's content, or chill out and people watch! Enjoy The Royal Pavilion with its extravagant oriental style and stunning gardens, and also the exciting exhibits at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. This area is also where you can find Brighton's Theatre land. Choose from the Theatre Royal, the Brighton Dome or the Komedia.
Beachfront & Piers
Famous for its pebble beach and piers, the beachfront area offers a diverse host of attractions, day and night. Visit the Fishing Quarter with its museum, modern art trail and seafront Artists' Quarter, have a ride on the carousel, hire roller-blades, have a bite to eat in one of the many cafés and bars, or simply watch the world go by from a deckchair! The Sealife Centre is also on the seafront - a good place to go if the rain starts to fall! Brighton has two piers; the main Palace Pier is the only pier in England to be open year-round, and also offers free deck-chair hire.
Here you can find everything from amusement arcades and fairground rides and games to souvenir shops, fish and chips and even karaoke! The West pier is slowly descending into the sea but there are restoration schemes on the horizon... By night, the beachfront clubs are open every night of the week. There is also open-air cinema, free performances at the Ellipse area, music on the beach, and shows and concerts at the seafront Brighton Centre. Another popular music and club venue on the seafront is Concorde II.
Hove
Continue past the West (Old) Pier, and you will find the peace statue marking the entrance to Hove. Here the seafront takes on a more leisurely feel. Take a right turn up one of the Victorian avenues and venture along a mile of cafés and restaurants known locally as 'the strip'.
Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina, another celebrity haunt, is one of Europe's largest Marinas. Here you can see millionaire yachts alongside small pleasure boats. Activities on offer are diving, sailing, boat trips or fishing. This area also serves a range of leisure activities such as tenpin bowling, a big screen cinema, a casino, and also waterfront shops (including a regular French market), bars and restaurants.
