Brighton & Hove Tourism Shoreham Rottingdean Saltdean Seaford Newhaven Sussex UK

Brighton City Centre

Brighton is one of the UK's premier city breaks and was recently voted as amongst the best in the world for beach cities. Boosted by its regency architecture with spectacular centrepiece the Royal Pavilion, Brighton's history as a seaside mecca really took off from the mid 1700s alongside the developing popularity of sea bathing. From 1750 theatres, new houses and the development of the Lanes culminated in a royal visit by the Prince of Wales in 1783 which guaranteed Brighton's increasing popularity. The Royal Pavilion, favoured residence of George IV and visited frequently later by Queen Victoria, dates originally from 1787 but was famously remodelled by John Nash for George IV between 1815 and 1823.

Situated less than an hour from London by train and road, Brighton today has a bohemian edge and is popular with Londoners for shopping day trips. Brighton's cultural scene is second to none and one of the best in the UK. Numerous art galleries are here alongside the acclaimed Theatre Royal and a huge choice of restaurants including organic and vegetarian fare. Brighton is famed for its choice of independent shops around the historic Brighton Lanes and North Laine and also offers one of the UK's best nightlife scenes including its world famous gay scene. Big live music venues are here including the Brighton Centre and Brighton Dome alongside the best of the UK's gay and dance clubs. Famous resident Fat Boy Slim's annual Brighton Beach party sells out early! Add to this a choice of cinemas including the Duke of York Picturehouse, major host for the annual Brighton Film Festival, plus a year round calendar of Festivals including Brighton Pride, the Brighton Festival and Fringe Festival, Brighton Comedy Festival and Brighton Food and Drink Festival and you have a superb mix of entertainment which sees Brighton as one of the UK's most popular holiday destinations.

In high Summer Brighton is a beach resort to rank with the best and is blessed with one of the warmest climates in the UK, situated as it is on the warm South East coast. Families will find plenty to please in Brighton including Brighton Pier, the Sealife Centre, a choice of family fun fair amuseuments along the beach near the pier and Madeira Drive plus a host of family entertainment including family restaurants, bowling and a cinema at Brighton Marina.

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The Lanes Brighton

Brighton's most famous quarter - The Lanes is world renowned for its narrow historic streets crammed with fine independent shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. This Brighton extravaganza of independent shops sits nestled between the seafront and cultural quarter just west of Brighton Pier. With everything from quirky antiques to unqiue gifts and designer select boutiques, the Lanes is a sublime Brighton Shopping experience deserving of considerable browsing time. Access to a convenient Lanes car park adjacent to the Lanes quarter is via the coastal Kings Road.

Part of Brighton's seaside city magic is the variety of experiences it offers, especially its variety of shopping and dining choice. Head to the North Laine area of Brighton between Brighton Station and the Cultural Quarter for the best of budget bohemian shopping. Independent shopping is at its best around North Laine with a stunning choice of vintage boutiques, vegetarian cafes and restaurants, good value antiques and collectables. Brighton ranks as one of Britain's best independent shopping destinations, and a holiday base in the Lanes and North Laine areas sees you in the very heart of the city's best dining and shopping choice.

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Kemp Town Brighton

Kemp Town is Brighton's Gay Village hub and around St James's Street and elsewhere in Kemp Town you'll find a host of gay friendly and gay owned Brighton B&Bs and Hotels. Gay Bars, shops, clubs and gay friendly cafes are all here aplenty in buzzing Kemp Town. Some of the finest of Brighton's restaurants are in the Kemp Town area too - checkout the Kemp Town pages of the Argus Food & Drink Guide!

The area sits east of Brighton Pier running parallel to the seafront between the Pier and Brighton Marina. Here you'll find some of the most spectacular of Brighton and Hove's Regency architecture. The area is named after one of the most famous Regency speculators in the area - Thomas Read Kemp. No trip to Brighton is complete without a tour of the glorious Regency crescents and squares of Kemp Town including the very first crescent ever to be built facing the sea - Royal Crescent.

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Brighton Seafront

Brighton Beach and seafront is one of the top family beach entertainment stretches in the UK and inclusive of Hove seafront you've 11km of entertainment and activities particularly good for families. Alongside Brighton Pier's huge choice of attractions including funfair rides, family restaurants, bars and side shows checkout the choice of funfair rides right on the beach near Brighton Pier. Beachfront alfresco cafes line the Kings Arches area and beachfront rides include the carousel and more. Two of Brighton's most popular family attractions are on Brighton Seafront - the historic Brighton Aquarium now the Sealife Centre and Brighton Pier, formally known as the Palace Pier and essentially the Queen of all the British Piers.

Situated between Brighton Pier and Brighton Marina is the award winning Yellowave Beachfront sports centre offering a huge choice of sports including beach soccer, volleyball, bouldering, ultimate frisbee and beachminton. Great for kids and families, Yellowave offers kids clubs and sessions with plenty of spectator space and on-site beach bar/cafe. Brighton and Hove's long 11km beach stretch offers a choice of bathing areas including two Blue Flag areas at Hove Lawns and West Street. Most popular is the West Beach area between the piers which is home to the seafront King's Arches and a choice of cafes, bars, funfair rides and more. East of Brighton Pier is Brighton Marina, an entertainment village in itself offering a choice of shops, restaurants, bars, diving, bowling and boat trips. The historic seafront Volks Electric Railway runs all the way to Brighton Marina from Brighton Pier regularly during the Summer season.

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Hove

Often referenced in conjunction with Brighton, Hove has a distinct identity of its own with an elegant seafront around Hove Lawns which now has blue flag status and a choice of watersports at Hove Lagoon and the King Alfred Centre. Boosted by its Regency architecture, Hove's seafront has a stylish continental feel. Picnics, games and festival events are all popular on the Hove Lawns area of the seafront facing Regency Brunswick Square.

Inland the Hove area has two popular sports venues - the lively Coral Greyhound Stadium next to Hove Park and just north of Brunswick Square the Sussex County Cricket Ground.

Hove along with Brighton is one of the top spots in the UK to see the finest examples of Regency architecture. Tours of the elegant Brunswick Town area in Hove are not to be missed via the developing Regency Town House Heritage Centre on Brunswick Square. Hove is also home to the acclaimed live music and gigs venue - the Old Market and the Hove Centre, sister venue of the Brighton Centre, which offers a packed programme of classical concerts, fairs, pop concerts and tribute bands. Find more live music at the character 1930s Brunswick Pub.

The Hove Museum and Art Gallery, set within a stunning Italianate villa on New Church Road, offers a superb choice of galleries with displays drawn from the Brighton collection. One of the best clusters of fine dining restaurants and bars is in Hove in the heart of the Regency Quarter along Church Road, Lansdowne Place, Brunswick Square and Western Road.

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Around Brighton

To the west of Brighton and Hove lies Portslade and the Adur District incorporating locations Shoreham-by-Sea, Southwick, Fishergate, Lancing, Sompting and Coombes. The River Adur divides the area in two, running down to the coast at Shoreham where you'll find an RSPB Centre and nature reserve. Shoreham-by-Sea makes a superb holiday location offering easy access to Brighton & Hove to the east and Worthing to the west. The town boasts a fine selection of attractions including the Marlipins Museum, Widewater Lagoon, Shoreham Airport, a stunning shingle beach and a Marina at Shoreham Port. The Adur Coast offers excellent opportunites for a choice of watersports.

Kitesurfing is popular on both Shoreham and Lancing beaches and watersports clubs offering sailing, canoeing and other outdoor activities are numerous along the coast. The Adur District has the best of both worlds - a seaside location and the spectacular countryside of the South Downs to the north. You can hook into the South Downs Way National trail direct from Shoreham via the coastal link and birdwatchers will want to head for the RSPB Centre on the edge of the Adur Estuary mudflats at Shoreham, now a designated Local Nature Reserve.

East of Brighton Marina some spectacular coastal locations await including first stop historic Rottingdean with a distinctive village feel and a choice of attractions and Saltdean with its spectacular seaside art deco architecture including one of Britain's best historic lidos. If you're looking for a more relaxed and peaceful Brighton area base then look east towards the pretty locations Rottingdean, Saltdean, slightly inland Ovingdean and Woodingdean. Pushing east from Brighton the Lewes Downs has an influence here and you begin to get a hint of the chalky white cliffs which culminate further east in the great drama of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.

Along the Rottingdean, Saltdean and Peacehaven coast striking cliff top walking is on the menu and top attractions in the area include the Beacon Hill Windmill and Kipling Gardens at Rottingdean and the spectacular 1930s deco Saltdean Lido and Ocean Hotel designed by Richard Jones. Also constructed in the 1930s was the dramatic Undercliff Walk which opened in 1933 from Rottingdean to Saltdean Gap and later extended to the borough boundary. The Undercliff Walk now runs for just over three miles and is a highlight attraction along the East Brighton Coast. Both Rottingdean and Saltdean boast quieter Brighton beaches of their own which have lifeguards present during the summer season.

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Seaford Peacehaven Newhaven & Seven Sisters Country Park

Seaford serves as the perfect holiday base from which to explore the South Downs including the dramatic chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters and surrounding Country Park as well as affording easy access west into Brighton. With a distinct identity and history all its own, Seaford has fascinating links with the sea notably as one of the Cinque Ports and as an important military base during the Napoleaonic Wars. This history is explored in-depth within the Martello Tower, now the Seaford Museum, on the seafront. Seaford has its own station making it easily accessible and a frequent bus service operates both to Brighton and the Seven Sisters Country Park as well as north to Lewes and north east to Sussex Downs centres such as Alfriston.

Both the Seaford Head Nature Reserve and the Seven Sisters Country Park are within easy reach of Seaford which serves as the perfect Sussex coastal walking base. Seaford also offers a superb choice of restaurants, pubs, shops, its own Tourist Information Centre, an art gallery and the acclaimed seafront Martello Tower Museum. The town also holds an annual arts and music festival.

Ferry port town Newhaven is a mere 20 minute drive from Brighton and Newhaven ferries run regularly across the channel to both Dieppe and Le Havre. Newhaven Marina is currently seeing considerable regeneration and you can hook into boat trips along the Sussex Coast including a tour of the Seven Sisters Coast and Brighton Seafront via Sussex Voyages based at Newhaven Marina. Newhaven also has two beach areas. Between Newhaven and Saltdean sits pretty cliff top Peacehaven. Like its name suggests, Peacehaven is a relaxing and peaceful seaside base with stunning cliff top walks in and around the town at Telscombe Cliffs and with easy access to both Brighton and the inland Sussex Downs.

Top attractions in Newhaven include the historic Victorian Newhaven Fort, site also for a large number of troops who left Newhaven for the D-Day landings at Dieppe towards the end of the Second World War. The Fort is now a superb heritage centre with numerous exhibits exploring Newhaven and Britain's experience during wartime. Newhaven Fort is also a centre for events including wartime jazz evenings and vintage rallies. Paradise Park, an extravaganza of garden centres, gardens, trails including a lifesize dinosaur trail and kids playgrounds sits just outside Newhaven and is one of East Sussex's top family attractions.

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