Brighton was one of the first of the
great seaside resorts of Europe. A fashion for sea water cures around the middle of the 18th century coincided with the beginnings of modern seaside tourism generally, and the result was the transformation of the old fishing town of Brighthelmstone into the
modern sea resort of Brighton.
George IV built the city's most famous landmark, the
Royal Pavilion, and his patronage made Brighton
famous and
fashionable. By the time of the arrival of the railway connection between London and Brighton in 1841, the
age of modern tourism had truly descended
on the bright city by the sea, bringing an estimated 250,000 annual visitors already before 1850.
Today Brighton is a more popular destination than ever, with some 8 million tourists visiting each year. The Royal Pavilion and the
Brighton Pier are still essential parts of the city and links to its past, but a
true cultural renaissance has occurred during the last decade that has transformed Brighton into something much more than just a seaside resort.
Brighton and Hove (together given city status in 2000) is today one of the most
vibrant and diverse cities in the UK, with world-class
arts and culture, a world-famous music and club scene, an
incredible nightlife, great
shopping, top-class
restaurants and a deep-seated
tolerance of alternative lifestyles. Brighton is well known for its
gay scene, and the city's bohemian traditions are alive and well.
Brighton is a growing, confident and
forward-looking city. A state-of-the-art library was built for the new
Cultural Quarter in the North Laine area, and several new hotels are planned both for here and the new
Urban Village next to Brighton Station. Planning permission has been granted for the Brighton i-360, a
seafront observation mast on the site of the West Pier that will carry up to 100 visitors at a time in an aerodynamically designed pod to a height of 150m (492ft) above sea level.
In
Hove, there are plans for a
seafront palace that will house two Olympic-size
ice rinks for both public and competitive skating as well as a huge
leisure complex designed by
Frank Gehry with two futuristic towers at its center.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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