United Kingdom, Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a large seaside town located on the South Coast of England. The town is bordered by Poole in the west and Christchurch in the east (forming a conurbation), and overlooks Poole Bay. It has grown since the middle of the 19th cent. from a small fishing village in the sheltered, pine-wooded valley of the Bourne to a popular resort and fine-arts center.

Bournemouth started as a seaside spa in the mid-nineteenth century, and travelers began to cross the bourne, or stream, to "take the waters" as therapy for various illnesses.

Located on the south coast of England, Bournemouth is ideally situated as a beach resort but also has the added bonus of the New Forest on its doorstep.

It is located about 105 miles southwest of London, at 50.72° N 1.88° W.

The city is renowned for its temperate climate, its warm and friendly population and it's seemingly never ending list of tourist attractions catering for all tastes as well as all ages. Today the population of Bournemouth is 164,000.

The town itself is packed with impressive Victorian and Edwardian architecture which has been excellently preserved, maintaining Bournemouth’s unique atmosphere on the south coast.

The city's appeal has also attracted businesses, and many large banking, insurance, and finance companies have relocated to the city. This is now the most valuable part of the local economy.

Bournemouth is a prosperous town and other industries such as bars and restaurants are booming. Along with its seven-mile stretch of sandy beaches, stunning parks and fantastic nightlife, Bournemouth is the ideal resort location in Britain.

Bournemouth’s nightlife scene has rapidly developed in recent times. Trendy bars and clubs can be found all over the town centre, and excellent restaurants serving some of the best seafood in Britain are found in Bournemouth.

Bournemouth's beautiful beach and excellent leisure facilities make it a popular choice for sports enthusiasts and international sporting events. If you are feeling a bit sporty there is always volleyball competitions to compete in to burn of any excess energy.

To add a "sporting" flavor in recent years, Bournemouth has had the honor of becoming the venue for the annual UK Professional Darts Championship, and is widely tipped to become the venue for the World Championship finals in the not too distant future.

The conurbation of Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch shows increasing congestion and some roads are very busy all day.

There is continuous motorway or dual carriageway from Bournemouth Town Centre to London and along the South Coast, via the recently improved M3, M27 and A31.

There are two bus companies operating in Bournemouth. Transdev Yellow Buses and Wiltshire & Dorset.

Bournemouth is well served by the rail network with two stations in the town, Bournemouth railway station and Pokesdown railway station to the East.

Bournemouth Airport is located about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Bournemouth town centre. It is also known as Hurn Airport and its IATA airport code is BOH.