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See

Bristol has a visible buzz. You can actually see its creative, independent, forward-thrusting spirit — it’s there in the attitude of its architecture and the artistry of its streets. The pioneering tone set in the 19th century by Isambard Kingdom Brunel — designer of the London-Bristol Great Western Railway and the ss Great Britain — continues today; you imagine the master engineer would approve of visitors now following the city’s Brunel Trail via a downloadable MP3 tour.

The city’s current creative ambassador is Banksy, the graffiti artist who started daubing Bristol buildings in the 1990s. You can take a self-guided stroll around his works. See the guide on visitbristol.co.uk or download an app (banksybristoltourapp.co.uk).

Also Bristol Street Art Tours (wherethewall.com) will take you past over 50 artworks, including the huge Nelson Street murals — painted in 2012 as part of permanent street art project See No Evil — as well as new additions, such as Cosmo Sarson’s breakdancing Jesus mural (close-up pictured right).

Equally creative, Aardman Animations is also Bristol-based. To see a set from the latest Wallace and Gromit caper, and to have a go at film-making yourself, head to the At-Bristol Science Centre (at-bristol.org.uk).

If you have a flair for the media, take a tour of BBC Bristol (bbc.co.uk/showsandtours). Discover how shows are made, try presenting the weather and learn about the Natural History Unit, responsible for some of the Beeb’s most groundbreaking nature shows. Indeed, Bristol is the global hub of wildlife film-making, which is celebrated at the Wildscreen Festival (19-24 October; wildscreenfestival.org), a gathering of the industry’s elite, plus workshops in everything from scriptwriting to underwater filming.

Hear

Many great thinkers are connected to Bristol – from Winston Churchill and WG Grace to JK Rowling and Bill Bailey. It’s a city that inspires innovation and creativity.

Perhaps that’s why it holds the Festival of Ideas (in May, plus events year-round; ideasfestival.co.uk), a forum for debate and discussion across genres; upcoming talks include Michael Mann on climate change (23 September) and Sir Max Hastings on the First World War (23 October).

Brunel remains one of Bristol’s biggest brains, and in December 2014 his most dramatic construction — Clifton Suspension Bridge — celebrates its 150th. To mark the anniversary, the Architecture Centre is hosting Bridge150, a festival celebrating the ingenuity of bridge-building, including an exhibition (from 1 October—16 November; architecturecentre.co.uk) and debates.

Join free tours of Brunel’s venerable span, too (Saturdays/Sundays, April-November; cliftonbridge.org.uk). Sharing bright ideas is also the aim of Bristol Bright Night (26 September; bnhc.org.uk) — 12 hours of free, interactive experiments and street performances celebrating Bristol’s cutting-edge researchers — where you can attend pop-up science theatres and learn about glow-in-the-dark bugs.

Bristol has a strong music and arts scene, too. Venues include the Old Vic (bristololdvic.org.uk), the UK’s longest continuously running theatre (pictured right); the Tobacco Factory (tobaccofactory.com), a converted warehouse with a fiercely independent spirit, weekly gigs and a craft brewery; and Colston Hall (colstonhall.org), which offers an eclectic programme of rock, jazz, classical, comedy and everything in-between.

The Arnolfini (arnolfini.org.uk) hosts a range of contemporary arts events, from poetry readings to film festivals. Thekla (theklabristol.co.uk), relaunching on 17 September after a big refurbishment, is a cargo ship-turned music venue. Big names and next-big-things play here.

More into movies? The Cube Microplex (cubecinema.com) is an independent arts space, run by volunteers, which presents films, music, cabaret, film-makers’ nights and more. And for culture on the go, download Missorts (missorts.com), an urban public soundwork. The Missorts app immerses you in original music and contemporary fiction, linked to 10 locations around Bristol.

Taste

Bristol cares about food. It’s been a Fairtrade City since 2005, and is the first UK city to have a Food Policy Council, which aims to improve the thinking behind food by publicising local suppliers and organising community gardens.

As culinary capital of the south-west, with a delicious diversity of communities, it has a super-abundance of food festivals, farmers’ markets, award-winning artisan producers, independent brewers and innovative eateries.

St Nicholas Market (stnicholasmarketbristol.co.uk) is a good place to start. This Grade I listed Georgian Exchange is crammed with foodie stalls; graze on Kurdish kebabs, pulled pork, Jamaican barbecue and more. On Wednesdays a farmers’ market sets up outside; everything here — cheeses, breads — is produced within 40 miles.

Then there are the annual eating extravaganzas. Love Food Festival (26 October; lovefoodfestival.com) aims to spark interest in food provenance via tastings and storytelling. Bristol Food Connections (1-9 May 2015; bristolfoodconnections.com) uses demos to link local people to great grub. Eat Drink Bristol Fashion (May; eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk) puts sustainable food in interesting locations.

Of course, there’s a raft of excellent eating and drinking places: modern-Med at Bell’s Diner (bellsdiner.com); breakfasts at Poco — voted Best Ethical Restaurant 2013 (eatpoco.com); steaks at the Ox (theoxbristol.com); innovative Indian at Thali (thethalicafe.co.uk); brilliant breads at Hart’s Bakery (hartsbakery.co.uk)... the list goes on.

Sophisticated tipplers should seek out cool cocktails at the Milk Thistle (milkthistlebristol.com). A crawl along King Street — hitting the Small Bar, Beer Emporium and Royal Navy Volunteer — will suit craft beer aficionados. Cider sippers will love Bristol Cider Shop (bristolcidershop.co.uk), which stocks 100 varieties.

Smell

Spritzed by fresh air from the Bristol Channel and wrapped in a landscape of rolling green, Bristol doesn’t suffer from big city fug. Its plentiful open spaces give it an invigorating feel and an inclination to outdoorsiness – a city where you want to step outside and inhale. This is probably one reason why Bristol has been named European Green Capital 2015 (bristol2015.co.uk), the first UK city to win the honour. The award recognises Bristol’s pioneering environmental efforts, its ambitious future plans and its sense of fun.

Having fun in the fresh air is easy here. Home to the charity Sustrans (sustrans.org.uk), which promotes travel by foot, bike and public transport, Bristol was also the UK’s first Cycling City. It has numerous cycle routes, including the first Dutch style segregated cycleway (opened this summer) and the new 6.5-mile Festival Way, linking Ashton Court to the Harbour. There are also cool cycle workshops-cum-cafes (try long established Mud Dock or the new Roll for the Soul). Those without wheels can join a bike tour — Cycle the City (cyclethecity.org) offers Lost Bristol and Ale Trail trips on vintage bikes.

The upcoming Bristol Half Marathon (21 September; runbristol.com) is an energetic way to sightsee — the scenic course heads down the Avon Gorge. If 13.1 miles seems far, use the Harbourside Sports Trail, which has markers from 100m to a mile, so you can measure your progress. Or head for Clifton Down, a graceful green space offering great views over the Severn Estuary and room for jogging, horse riding, kite flying and frisbee flinging.

The best way to breathe in Bristol, though, is by hot-air balloon. Around 130 brilliant baskets lift off during the International Balloon Fiesta (6-9 August 2015; bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk, above), but flights run March to October for drifts above this great city.

Touch

You can certainly sense Bristol’s creative, positive vibe. But you can also grab it with both hands. This is a city to get properly stuck in to, whether that’s by sifting through antiques at Reclaimers Reclamation (reclaimersinbristol.co.uk) or constructing your own science experiment at At-Bristol Science Centre (at-bristol.org.uk).

As befits such a city, there are plenty of quirky activities. How about stand-up paddleboarding in the Floating Harbour (supbristol.com)? Born in Hawaii, this surfing spin-off has found its way to Bristol, and evening taster sessions let novices give it a try. Or why not learn the trapeze? Circomedia circus school (circomedia.com), housed in converted St Paul’s Church, runs courses for beginners and pros in rope and silks, aerial acrobatics and trapeze. Or befriend a meerkat — Bristol Zoo (bristolzoo.org.uk) runs Meet & Greets for visitors who want to get closer. At the zoo’s offshoot, the Wild Place Project (opened in 2013; wildplace.org.uk), you can feed the lemurs (below) and become a ranger for the day. Or try the country’s wildest urban rock climbing – the Avon Gorge, five minutes from the city centre, offers 750 routes, from novice-friendly to nearly unscalable.

For a more relaxing touch, head to Clifton’s Lido (lidobristol.com). This heated outdoor pool complex is the chicest way to exercise. You can swim, dip in the hot tub, have a spa treatment, and then tuck into something delicious at the poolside bar. It’s easy to continue the indulgence — the cafes of classy Clifton Village are just outside. Or head to the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter for vintage threads and art galleries, or Gloucester Road, for a colourful collection of independent butchers, bakers and everything makers.