Brighton was a sleepy little fishing village, then known as Brighthelmstone, until Dr Richard Russell of Lewes began to prescribe the use of seawater for his patients. He advocated the drinking of seawater and sea-bathing in 1750. A further factor in Brighton's growth came in the early 19th Century when the Prince of Wales built the Royal Pavilion. But it was only with the development of the railways, around 1840, that Brighton truly started to boom.

The city is convenient to London and it is sometimes called "London-by-the-Sea" for this reason.

What to See

Royal Pavilion

The spectacular seaside palace of the Prince Regent (George IV) transformed between 1815 and 1822 into one of the most dazzling and exotic buildings in the British Isles.  The Pavilion houses furniture and works of art including original pieces lent by HM The Queen and a magnificent display of Regency silver-gilt. The Royal Pavilion Tearoom, with its fabulous balcony, overlooks the Pavilion gardens, which have also been returned to their original Regency splendour. 

Brighton Pier

A familiar site in many feature films, the Brighton Pier was opened to entertain the crowds at the dawn of the 20^th century. On the opening night a series of eight iron & steel arches were spectacularly illuminated by 3,000 light bulbs. These original steel arches can still be found by the entrance to Palm Court fish & chip restaurant. Today there are 67,000 lights illuminating Brighton Pier. The Pier is filled with arcade games, carnival rides, including a carousel and many other ways to enjoy looking out over the sea.

​Brighton Wheel

The much anticipated observation Wheel stands 45 meters in diameter and provides breath-taking, panoramic views of the coastline, surrounding architecture and landmarks.

The Lanes in Brighton

Once the heart of the old fishing town of Brighthelmstone, The Lanes, Brighton's historic quarter is an intricate maze of twisting alleyways, offering an extraordinary mix of history and heritage lingering amidst the shops. Four hundred year-old fishermen's cottages and flint stone exteriors while the spirit of royal, literary and cinematic connections of a bygone age remain in the air.

Brighton Beach Life

Voted one of the Top 10 city beach break destinations in the world, Brighton & its beachfront cool are legendary.

​Getting Around Brighton

By bike

Cycling is a growing form of transport in Brighton. More details on cycling, including a map of routes, can be found here. 

By bus

There is an extensive bus network in Brighton (and Hove). In the city centre, services are very frequent and many stops have 'real-time' bus information. A flat fare of £2 for single journeys or £4 for an all day ticket (CitySaver). All day tickets can be bought on the bus, or in advance on the company website. If travelling by train, you can add a "plus bus" option on your ticket for £2, which gives a day's travel around the city.

By taxi

There are plenty of taxis and taxi ranks in the city centre. You'll find the main ones at:

East Street

• Queen's Square
  
• Hove Town Hall
  

You can also hail taxis in the street 24 hours a day.​
Download the Brighton app here.​​​​