Sitting on the beautiful River Avon, Bristol was once England’s second largest city and a major port, with a floating harbor at its centre. Today, although the docks have been closed and port activities moved out of the city, Bristol remains a dynamic city, with a vibrancy that attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Bristol has risen to the tourism challenge, celebrating the city’s maritime heritage and transforming its original floating harbor and docks into a thriving area. Converted warehouses rub shoulders with new buildings to offer attractive shops, restaurants, galleries, cafes, museums and apartments.

Where once ships carefully sailed into the harbour, Harborside is now a key shopping, residential and entertainment area, stretching from the Cumberland Basin to the city centre. Sailing, windsurfing, rowing, canoeing and even water skiing have become increasingly popular. More and more ships are using the area, especially during the Bristol Harbor Festival, which takes place every July.

While the ferries and boats provide wonderful views of the harbor and the city, one of the most impressive local sights has to be the one that greets passengers flying into Bristol International Airport: the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who later created the Great Western Railway (GWR), the Clifton Suspension Bridge is recognized around the world as an icon of Victorian engineering excellence.

It traverses the 1.5-mile-long Avon Gorge traversed by the river, meandering across a limestone ridge west of Bristol. Forming the boundary between the city and North Somerset, Avon Gorge was once a defensive gateway to the city’s harbor in the days when it was a major port.

With the city’s economy booming in the 18th and 19th centuries, the suburb of Clifton became a highly desirable place to live. Mansions were built overlooking the gorge, then came a large public park, The Downs.

The idea of ​​crossing the River Avon was first raised in the mid-18th century, but it was in 1831 that the young Brunel submitted his winning design for a bridge to cross it at Clifton. Although it was Brunel’s first major commission and he became one of the greatest engineers of the Victorian era, he sadly took so long to build the suspension bridge that he never lived to see it open.

Almost as soon as it was completed, in 1864, the Clifton Bridge began to attract visitors and earn its place as a great engineering landmark. It crosses the Avon at a point where the gorge is over 300 feet deep and 700 feet wide.

Avon Gorge itself has always been a popular area. As well as Clifton to the east, there is the glorious Leigh Woods to the west. Three Iron Age forts dominate the gorge, plus an observatory developed from an 18th-century windmill. Many of the historic buildings within this area are now wonderfully luxurious Bristol hotels.

The limestone that was so much in demand during Bristol’s boom years was quarried from the Avon Gorge. These days much quieter activities take place, since the old quarries are home to jackdaws, pigeons and seagulls. The gorge enjoys a micro climate and on warm days the lucky birder may spot the occasional Peregrine Falcon soaring at high elevation while hunting its prey.

The steep, solid crags with their rich pockets are also a favorite with climbers, as well as being home to some rare plants and unique trees.

As thousands of visitors cross the Clifton Suspension Bridge, horseshoe bats quietly carry on with their lives, nesting under its buttresses. Nearby, a short tunnel carries the Portishead Railway under the bridge.

As the bats begin to flutter, the bridge lights up. Surprisingly, there are no bulbs involved in the process, thanks to a state-of-the-art system. Light-emitting diodes illuminate the entire bridge using slightly more electricity than one of the nearby houses that has left all its lights on.

Such technology would have astonished Isambard Kingdom Brunel, whose bridge was crossed by horse and cart long before the arrival of heavy traffic. In addition to the GWR, Brunel went on to design a rail system connecting the city’s Temple Meads station with its magnificent suspension bridge.

Two large ships, also designed by this skilled Victorian engineer, were built locally in Bristol. One of these ships, the fully restored SS Great Britain, takes pride of place in the harbor. She was the first deep-sea iron ship powered by a screw propeller.

However, Brunel will probably be best remembered for the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Just as they did in 1864, people still stop to marvel at this spectacular structure, which has become Bristol’s most famous landmark.