What you should do on a long weekend in Brighton
Spending a long weekend in Brighton is not unfamiliar to me. My godparents used to live in Brighton so I used to visit quite often when I was young. Now as a solo traveller I see the city differently.
When considering where to travel during a bank holiday weekend, Brighton came to mind. Just over an hour travel time from London, it is a convenient and popular seaside city.
By travelling to Brighton, I wanted to discover and explore places I had never been to before. The first thing to make clear is that Brighton is actually not the cities proper name. The city is formally known as Brighton and Hove and was granted its city status in 2001. Interestingly the city has a connection to the Eurovision song contest. The competition was held in the city in 1974, the year ABBA won with Waterloo.
Here is what I recommend you should do on a long weekend in Brighton:
V and H cafe
I read about the V and H cafe when trying to find somewhere for breakfast. It is located in Hove in a quieter area of the city.
The cafe itself is not very big so it is advisable to get there as early as possible. There is a large selection for breakfast, with quality ingredients cooked and prepared with care. I chose the eggs Benedict with the poached eggs runny, as they should be. The breakfast menu is available until 3pm so there is ample time to turn breakfast into brunch in this local cafe.
Royal Pavilion
Although I have visited Brighton before, I have never been inside the Royal Pavilion. This exotic palace, as beautiful as it is, looks a little out of place for a seaside city. This diversity is what I think makes Brighton such a popular place.
It was a pleasure palace for King George IV. It was in 1815 that work was commissioned to transform the appearance of the old villa into the oriental palace we see today. Unfortunately no photos can be taken inside, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that the interior of the palace is just as interesting as the outside.
Purchasing tickets online in advance costs £13.50 for an adult over 19 years old (correct as of May 2019). I recommend using an audio guide for your visit to help you understand more about each room inside the palace. Audio guides are available for an additional £2.
Sea Life Brighton
I have always found aquariums to be fascinating places. When reading up about Sea life Brighton, one fact surprised me. Operating since 1872, it is the oldest aquarium in the world. I would never have guested that.
In all of that time the aquarium has been used for other purposes including a jazz club, bowling alley and dancing. Today it features 3,500 creatures across 12 areas. The Ray Pool was my favourite area. I stood at the edge of the pool for several minutes as the stingrays swam to the surface close to me. In this moment I had a lovely admiration for nature.
For an extra cost, you can participate in a behind the scenes tour. This tour enlightens you to how the creatures are feed and looked after.
British Airways i360
This is the newest must try activity on the sea front. Opened in 2016 this tower enables passengers to view the surrounding countryside from a viewing pod 138 metres high. In the sunny conditions I had, the views do offer excellent photographic opportunities of the city and surrounding county. A worthwhile experience, I mean who doesn’t like viewing cities from above?
Final thoughts
My long weekend in Brighton was a discovery of new and historical places I had never been to before. Amongst exploring these places, I walked many times along the seafront, stopping off at the famous Brighton Pier and Bandstand. I walked along the high street on Western Road where I had takeaway fish and chips from Bankers (had to eat that when in Brighton for sure!). Indeed, there are many things you should do on a long weekend in Brighton and Hove.
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