Bournemouth is a famous beach resort on the English Channel in Dorset. For the first time, this wide sandy coast was appreciated by the landowner Tregonwell and in 1810 he built a dacha here. Over time, the village became a very popular resort for well-to-do seniors. A hundred years ago, Bournemouth was the center of attraction for the cream of Victorian society (including members of the royal family) who sought to immerse themselves in the relaxing atmosphere of the resort, breathe its healing air and bathe in the clear sea water. In Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy affectionately describes Bournemouth as "a resort transplanted to the English Channel from the Mediterranean coast". The air here, pungent with notes of fragrant pine, was considered healing, and many celebrities traveled here? first of all? for recovery.
Bournemouth used to be awash in greenery, and holidaymakers can take a walk along Pine Lane in Bournemouth Gardens, as they did years ago.
Due to the increased number of students, surfers and people with non-traditional sexual orientation in recent years, vacationing in Bournemouth has become associated with a bohemian lifestyle, different from life in the resorts of the South Coast, popular only among retirees.
Hidden behind high cliffs, Bournemouth's coastline has its own microclimate, with the warmest seawater in the UK and beautiful views of the Isles of Wight and Parbeck.
On the train
There are two railway stations in Bournemouth: the central station and the station in Poxdown (in the east of Bournemouth). Trains of several companies connect Bournemouth with most major cities through these stations.
On the bus
National Express operates a direct bus service to Bournemouth from London (2.5 hours, departures every hour), Bristol (once a day) and Oxford (journey 3 hours, departures twice a day). Salisbury can be reached in an hour with a small and from Southampton in 1 hour. There is a frequent bus service between Bournemouth and Poole (only 15 minutes away).
On the ferry
The port, located next to Poole (8 km from Bournemouth), provides regular ferries to Weymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, the Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey), and the French Saint Malo and Cherbourg.
On the plane
Bournemouth Airport is only 10-15 minutes away by car or bus from the city center and serves both domestic and international flights. Planes from Glasgow, Dublin and Barcelona arrive here every day. A1 buses run from the airport to the city center (working hours from 07:00 to 19:00).
Southampton Airport is located not far from Bournemouth. You can get from there to the central railway station of the city by train (about 45 minutes on the way), the departure station is located a few steps from the terminal.
The nearest London airports to Bournemouth are Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. National Express buses run from Heathrow Central Bus Station (Terminals 1 and 2) to Bournemouth (journey time 2 hours 15 minutes). You can get there by bus from Gatwick in 3.5 hours, from Stansted - in 4.5 hours, from Luton - in 4 hours.
The city is compact enough to explore on foot. Bus connections are well developed in the center, but there is also a catch here: Bournemouth is served by two operators, each of which accepts only its own tickets. The route network of "yellow" buses covers the Christchurch area and the eastern part of Bournemouth, the route network of "blue" buses - nearby Poole and the western part of the city.
Taxi fares around the city are quite low, but this is usually only for short trips. It is better to call a taxi by phone than to wait for your turn at the parking lot.
The first spa hotel in Bournemouth was built in 1885 - it became the Mont Dore Hotel (now the town hall building). As well as luxurious rooms and tennis courts, the hotel offered healing water treatments, which it claimed could not be found anywhere else in England. Seawater and healing water from the Bourne stream were pumped into the basement of Mont Dore, and from there fed into the Turkish and salt baths. Since then, Bournemouth has developed into a thriving resort and many of the larger hotels have started offering their own spa treatments.
One of the main attractions of the city is the "Bournemouth Eye", a helium-filled balloon to which a basket that holds up to 30 people is attached by steel cables. From the "eye", which rises to a height of 120 m, a stunning panorama of the city and its surroundings opens.
The bullet takes passengers on board from 10:00 to 20:00 from April to October and from 11:00 to 17:00 from November to March, the ticket price is 12.50 GBP for an adult and 7.50 GBP for a child (schedule can check on the official website in English). The prices on the page are indicated for November 2018.
Both children and adults are interested in visiting the Bournemouth Aquarium and meeting face to face with hundreds of amazing creatures - from bright clown fish and turtles to sharks and piranhas. The aquarium is located on the waterfront adjacent to the pier, a few minutes' walk from the Bournemouth International Centre. The underwater world is open to everyone every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., a ticket for an adult costs 12.50 GBP, a ticket for a child - 8.50 GBP (the schedule and possible discounts can be specified on the official website in English).
Many unusual animals and plants live in the vicinity of Bournemouth. Brownsea Island, located in Poole Bay, is one of the few places in the south where squirrels and meadow ants, listed as rare and endangered in the UK, still live.
Bournemouth Museums
The Russell-Coats Art Gallery and Museum is one of the few buildings preserved in its original form. Sir Merton Russell-Coutes, owner of Bournemouth's Royal Bath Hotel, built a house called East Cliff Hall in the north-eastern part of the hotel's garden in 1901. In 1907, Sir Merton's wife Annie donated the house and all its interiors to the city, but for the next 10 years the Russell-Cotes family continued to live in the house, donating money to extend it. The official opening of East Cliff Hall took place in 1919, and three years later it was renamed the Russell-Cotes Museum. The collection of the house-museum presents exhibits that Sir Merton collected during his foreign trips, in particular, works of art from Japan. One of the museum's rooms is dedicated to the memory of the famous actor of his time, Sir Henry Irving, a friend of Russell-Cotes. The museum is open to visitors every day, except Monday, from 10:00 to 17:00, a ticket for an adult costs 7.50 GBP, for a child - 4 GBP (you can find out about exhibitions and the current schedule on the official website in English).
Nightlife Bournemouth
In recent years, Bournemouth has gained wide popularity among English youth as a center of nightlife. Most of its clubs, bars and restaurants are concentrated in the city centre, with trendy establishments such as Bliss, Chilli White, Lava & Ignite and Mary Shelley located on St Peter's Road. Another popular party spot is the V nightclub, converted from the building of the former church of Andrew the First-Called.
Bournemouth International Centre, located close to the seafront, is the most prestigious venue for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment, festivals, concerts, musicals and ballets. A detailed announcement can be found on the center's website.
Bournemouth hosts the annual Bourne Free gay parade, which has been running since 2004.
The main shopping streets are located in the center of the city and along the embankments on both sides of the river (brook) Born. Shopping streets are mainly a pedestrian zone, with many boutiques and shops. There are modern shopping centers in Bournemouth, and arcades with galleries in the Victorian style, bars, clubs and cafes.
About 1.5 km west of the city center, in the Westbourne area, designer clothing boutiques and shops where you can find everything for interior design are concentrated. Boscombe East is also considered a major shopping area with numerous antique shops and a street market. To the north of the city center is the Castlepoint shopping complex, and to the northwest of it is the Castlemore mall. There are large shops in the city center (eg Asda and Co-op), in Boscombe (Sainsbury) and between Westbourne and Upper Parkston. The huge Tesco Extra store is based on Castle Lane
BEACHES
The beaches of Bournemouth are an ideal place for relaxation and the site for the annual air show, the largest event of its kind in the world. To facilitate access to the beach, there are special lifts in the rock, and there are trains running along the promenade, on which you can go from Bournemouth Pier to Bosque Pier
