Brighton Hotels and Attractions

Brighton, on the Sussex coast, has long been a fashionable destination for day-trippers due to its easy access from London. It has a huge population of students, which means a plentiful offering of independent shops and a varied nightlife. The quirky Royal Pavilion is the city’s jewel, along with the more sedate offerings of its Regency architecture, the Brighton Beach, Brighton Pier and the nearby Sussex Downs.

Sightseeing

Art Deco gems in Brighton Art Gallery, funky shops on North Laine.

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
The Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, situated in the cultural heart of the city opposite the Royal Pavillion, underwent a £10 million renovation in 2002. This has made it easier and more enjoyable to appreciate the fine collections of fashion, art and design between the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods for which the museum is best known.

As a city devoted to stylish living, it won't surprise any Brighton visitor to discover other galleries devoted to body, fashion and style featuring major 20th century fashion designers and 20th century art and design.

The museum also has interesting collections of popular pottery (the Willett Collection), images and objects from the city's local history and a section devoted to the history of performance.

Royal Pavilion
Just behind Brighton Seafront the Royal Pavilion rises like a mirage of Eastern exoticism. It was the Prince Regent (George IV) who commissioned John Nash to adapt a standard structure into this splendid folly (1815-1823) inspired by the Mughal architecture (onion domes, intricate decoration) of India. The Royal Pavilion is set in lush gardens, but step inside to see the ornate interiors, adorned with gilded dragons, carved palm trees and imitation bamboo staircases. Highlights include the Music Room decorated by George IV's interior decorator Frederick Crace, the domed Banqueting Room where the long wooden table is laid ready for a feast fit for a king; the Royal Apartments with sturdy four posters; and Queen Adelaide's tearooms boasting sweeping views over the Pavilion gardens.

Brighton Beachfront
Brighton beachfront is the heart of this buzzing seaside city and has undergone a transformation in the last decade. It stretches from Brighton Pier, with its bumper cars and Victorian games arcade, to what was the ghostly West Pier, now partially subsided into the waters after a huge fire. Between the two piers are the restored Victorian arches, harbouring bars, cafés, restaurants and a club as well as 20 artists' studios. Traditional timber boardwalks lead out over the shingle to the sea and new lighting has made the area safe after dark. Artists have designed some bold wall murals and various forms of seating - optimum spots to see the Starling Roost - when 50,000 of the little birds wheel through the sky in the hour before sunset before bedding down in what's left of the abandoned West Pier.

Look out for The Ellipse, a new area for outdoor performances which comes alive in summer with free music events, beach volleyball courts and a fantastic children's play area with paddling pool, climbing frames and fountains.

Drop in to the Fishing Museum (free to visit) and pay your respects to the fishermen who still mend their nets here and sell the catch of the day alongside cockles and jellied eels.

Sea Life Centre
Believe it or not, Brighton's Sealife Centre is the oldest aquarium in the world. Once a place to sit on rickety chairs and watch an old-fashioned show where seals juggled balls on their noses, it has undergone a serious revamp and now boasts one of the longest underwater viewing tunnels in Europe. 2005 welcomes its newest feature - a tropical reef, with a shark encircled wreck for added authenticity! Visitors can stroll through the water tunnel while sharks cruise above and below, visit the touch pools to meet some watery creatures close up and tour the aquarium exhibits which include seahorses, sting rays and turtles.

Kids can also get a thrill from the Nautilus Show hosted by Captain Nemo, the feeding displays and the many talks which are held each week. Another new feature aims to explain the intelligence of the octopus with interpretation and visual displays. Each day the Octopuses are given a range of challenges - such as opening jars and working through a maze to obtain food. They are as clever as a pet dog (apparently!)