Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a naval town on the south coast of England, famous for its historic ships; such as the shipwreck of Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose; and Lord Admiral Nelson’s ship the HMS Victory. With a large student population, it has a thriving nightlife, with a variety of (mostly mainstream) bars and clubs. A lot of these clubs are located on the South Parade in Southsea. Osborne and Albert Roads in Southsea are also home a lot of the city’s restaurants, as is Portsmouth High Street.

Attractions

Portsmouth's main attractions centre around the town's fascinating naval history. The 16th Century Mary Rose, raised in 1982 and now housed in an eerie dry dock where she is constantly sprayed with water to maintain humdity is an excellent day out. Nelson's flagship HMS Victory and the 19th Century HMS Warrior, which is still floating, are great fun for young and old alike.

Spinnaker Tower a 170m tower built on the harbour front in 2005, offers fantastic 360^o views of the town and the sea. The D-Day Museum and the Royal naval Museum are both very interesting.

Nightlife and Eating Out

There are enough bars clubs in Portsmouth for you to find exactly what you're looking for. With night spots all over the city, and the local student population keeping things going til the early hours, Portsmouth is a great place to go out. You will also find plenty of restaurants, serving international cuisine and of course, seaside fish and chips.

Shopping

The two main shopping areas of Portsmouth are the city centre, which is home to mainstream high street stores, and Gunwharf Quays, where a large number of designer outlet stores can be found. A visit to the Historic Dockyard may prove interesting, packed as it is with nautically themed shops selling good spertaining to the naval history of the area.

Tourist Information

Visitor Information Service Clarence Esplanade, Southsea PO5 3PBTel: 023 9282 6722www.visitportsmouth.co.ukvis@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Airport

The closest airport to Portsmouth is Southampton Airport, which is 15 miles away. The airport has flights to domestic and popular holiday resort destinations.