🇬🇧United Kingdom · Places to discover
What to see in Brighton?
23 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Landmarks & heritage
6 places
1Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Brighton Dome
Concert and performance venue housed in the Prince Regent's former royal stables, a listed historic monument. ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest here in 1974 — the acoustics remain exceptional.
2Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Landmark
Brighton Palace Pier
The iconic Victorian pier from 1899 with kitsch rides and proper seaside fish and chips. Skip the ghostly West Pier — this one is thriving and authentically British.
3Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Landmark
Royal Pavilion
An extravagantly Indo-Islamic regency palace commissioned by Prince George IV. The interior is even more extraordinary than the exterior — the kitchens and reception rooms are a journey through time.
4Wikimedia CommonsLandmark
Kemp Town
Neighbourhood of immaculate Regency terraces built in the 1820s, with private squares and bohemian alleyways. The heart of Brighton's LGBT+ scene and featuring strikingly preserved architecture.
5Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Landmark
West Pier
Rusted and romantic ruins of the former grand Victorian pier, now inhabited by vast clouds of starlings at sunset. A free and hypnotic natural spectacle.
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Landmark
Landmark
Brighton Town Hall
Neoclassical town hall from 1830 at the heart of Bartholomew Square, often overlooked despite its imposing architecture. The square ahead is an excellent starting point for exploring the Lanes.
Museums
3 places
7Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Museum
Brighton Fishing Museum
Small, free waterfront museum chronicling Brighton's fishing heritage, complete with authentic traditional boats. Adjacent fishmongers still sell the day's catch—pick up some smoked mackerel.
8Wikimedia CommonsMuseum
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
Free museum housed in the former royal stables, featuring a remarkable Art Deco and Art Nouveau collection. Often overlooked by tourists rushing to the beach, it's genuinely a hidden gem.
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Museum
Museum
Fabrica Gallery
A contemporary art gallery housed in a former Regency church — light installations within this sacred space create unique visual experiences. Free entry with regular exhibition changes.
Religious sites
1 place
10Wikimedia CommonsReligious site
St Bartholomew's Church
Victorian church nicknamed 'Noah's Ark' for its vertiginous height — 43 metres, England's tallest brick nave. The gilded Byzantine interior is breathtaking and largely unknown.
Nature
4 places
11Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Nature
Brighton Marina
Europe's largest marina, framed by striking white chalk cliffs—arrive early to watch fishing boats return to harbour. Sunday's farmers' market beneath the cliffs is considerably more authentic than the city centre.
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Nature
Nature
Sheepcote Valley
A wild valley hidden to the east of Brighton, a local nature reserve with chalk grassland and wild orchids in spring. Almost unknown to tourists, frequented chiefly by local birdwatchers.
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Nature
Nature
Brighton & Hove Seafront
The shingle seafront stretches for 13 km — the stretch between i360 and Kemp Town feels most local, far removed from the amusement arcades. Early morning reveals a spectacle of wild swimmers and solitary walkers.
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Nature
Nature
Devil's Dyke
England's largest dry valley on the South Downs, a 20-minute bus ride from the city centre. A 360° panoramic view across the Weald and the English Channel — locals come here to escape the bustle.
Parks & gardens
2 places
15Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Park
Stanmer Park
Five-hundred-acre park with a preserved Georgian village, ancient woodland and wildflower meadows. Where Brightonians come to picnic, run and forget they're just ten minutes from the city centre.
16Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0Park
Withdean Park
An informal botanical park with giant rhododendrons and a little-known rose garden, nestled in a quiet residential neighbourhood. A secret garden cherished by north Brighton locals.
Viewpoints
2 places
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront Rooftop Bar
A rooftop bar with a terrace overlooking the pier and the English Channel directly — one of the few elevated vantage points on the seafront. Perfect for a sundowner without paying the i360 price.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
British Airways i360
A 162-metre observation tower with a doughnut-shaped panoramic cabin — breathtaking views over the coast and South Downs. Designed by the architects behind the London Eye, it's the ultimate vantage point over Brighton.
Activities
4 places
19Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Activity
Brighton Open Market
A permanent covered market with local vendors, street food and artisans — far more authentic than touristy market halls. Saturday mornings see locals queuing for their weekly shops.
20Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Activity
The Lanes
A labyrinth of medieval cobbled alleyways lined with antique shops, jewellers and independent cafés. The historic heart of the old fishing village — leave your GPS behind and get delightfully lost.
21Wikipedia · CC BY 2.5Activity
Volks Electric Railway
The world's first public electric railway (1883), still hugging Brighton's seafront to Kemp Town. A charming 10-minute journey in period carriages—historically significant and delightfully functional.
22Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0Activity
North Laine
A bohemian quarter with hundreds of independent shops, alternative cafés and art galleries along Gardner Street and Sydney Street. Contemporary Brighton at its most creative and uncompromising.
More to discover
1 place
23WikipediaPlace
Seven Dials
A seven-street junction lined with independent shops, neighbourhood restaurants and genuine village atmosphere. Less known than North Laine, this is where central Brighton's residents actually shop and dine.
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