Are you seeking culture or thrills, relaxation or an overall great weekend away? Do you want the ease and convenience of an organized tour or the freedom to arrange your own itinerary? Whatever your needs, the energetic and lively city of Bristol has something to suit all kinds of tastes.

Below is an at a glance overview of some of the exciting possibilities in the vibrant city of Bristol.

Historic Houses and Museums
One place of historic interest is Berkeley Castle. It is said to be one of England's oldest inhabited castle The stately home occupied by 24 generations of Berkeleys used to be a Norman fortress. It now houses treasures like Queen Elizabeth I's bedspread and Sir Francis Drake's cabin chest. You can wander around the beautiful, terraced grounds or visit the bowling green where it is reputed that Queen Elizabeth 1 took in a game of bowls during one of her stays at the castle. If you are a nature lover, visit the butterfly house and see hundreds of colourful, tropical butterflies.

If you want to learn more about social history, drop by Blaise Castle House Museum. Here you will find a collection of everyday objects including Victorian toilets and baths, kitchen and laundry equipment and period costume giving you a feel for how life was lived in Victorian England.

Before you exhaust your interest for history, check out one of Bristol‘s winning attractions the Brunel SS Great Britain, winner of the Gulbenkian Prize for Museums and Galleries in the UK 2006.

Shopping
Got shopaholic tendencies? Bristol will not disappoint. It’s many shopping areas offer all types of goods from brand names to individual boutique items, from budget to luxury. The Mall Galleries is home to a variety of clothing from designer to high street fashion. It houses most famous name stores offering everything from home furnishings

to gifts.
If you want an all-in-one shopping experience, visit Broadmead Bristol’s main city centre shopping destination. Currently it has over 300 stores including household favourites like House of Fraser, Debenhams and Marks and Spencer to name just a few, cinemas cafes and pubs. A new extensive city centre regeneration project will eventually provide amongst other things, a Cinema de Lux; with over 3000 seats and 3 streets of shops. It is scheduled to open in September 2008.

Nightlife
If a day or weekend of culture and shopping hasn’t exhausted you, prepare yourself to be spoilt for choice as the sun goes down and you go in search of some great nightlife. The Bristol Hippodrome offers the best in Broadway and West End theatre productions. For a more diverse arts experience visit the Tobacco Factory. Here you can watch in-house and touring productions and children’s shows and music events.
If clubbing is your thing there is a lively scene around the harbourside; Bristol’s main nightlife area. Check out Whiteladies Road, Park Street and the Old City.

You will no doubt find a day in Bristol is not enough time to take in all that Bristol has to offer. Having had taste you will almost certainly want to come back for more. Whether you are a short term visitor or even a business person, a great option would be a short term rental in a Serviced Apartment. Short term rentals in Bristol offer particularly competitive prices and are found in convenient locations. After a busy time exploring this vibrant city why not relax in your own home from home Serviced Apartment and wake up refreshed to take in the sights of the city again.

Michiel Van Kets provides article services for J. Milton who is a renowned builder with over 30 years experience - the purpose-built serviced apartments in Bristol are the latest project and make excellent short term rental in Bristol.