Plenty to do!

Lifestyle
Get more out of life in Bradford! One thing is for certain, you’ll never be bored in Bradford. Restaurants, bars, museums, galleries, theatres, shops, picturesque countryside, a big range of entertainment, festivals and events.

The great outdoors
Literally on Bradford’s doorstep is the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of the county’s most treasured possessions. Brimming with rivers, waterfalls, valleys, rolling hills, caves and drystone walls, it is a landscape that demands exploration. Highlights include the stunning Aysgarth Falls in Wensleydale and Wharfedale’s Bolton Abbey Estate with its acres of green, rolling landscape, centuries-old ruins and the gushing water of the spectacular Strid – the narrowest point of the River Wharfe.

One of the most popular areas for walkers, rock climbers and nature lovers in the Bradford district is the world-famous Ilkley Moor - an expanse of beautiful, untouched moorland overlooking the historic spa-town of Ilkley. It is also the setting of many mysterious prehistoric stone circles and ancient rock carvings.

Food & drink
The vibrant city of Bradford and its surrounding area is a cultural melting pot, exemplified not least by its array of globally influenced restaurants and bars.

Bradford is of course the country’s curry capital, and connoisseurs consider the beautifully presented former bank, Nawaab or the Mumtaz Paan House (whose curries are even stocked by Harrods!) among the ones to head for. Equally spicy is The Love Apple, a bohemian city centre café bar by day and a dancer’s paradise by night, offering Mexican inspired food, eclectic arty clientele and a labyrinth of shabby-chic rooms.

Outside the city centre, Ilkley offers The Yard – a bar serving traditional pub food with a twist and hosting monthly art exhibitions, The Box Tree – a multi-award-winning restaurant, and the celebrated Bettys Café Tea Rooms. Nearby, three village weavers’ cottages make up Weavers Restaurant, serving traditional northern food in the famous literary town of Haworth.

Shopping
Those craving retail therapy will look forward to the completion of the city centre’s £300m Broadway retail and leisure centre. Shoppers can also splash out at the Forster Square Retail Park, the refurbished Kirkgate Centre and in the many independent shops surrounding the centre – surely enough to satisfy even the hardiest shopaholic!

Sports
For those who prefer the sporting life, Bradford district has over 20 golf courses, including picturesque Heartbeat film set, Ben Rhydding Golf Club, and Branshaw Golf Club, a thrilling moorland course overlooking the village of Howarth. While those in pursuit of outdoor adventure and adrenaline will enjoy the hang gliding, sailing, ballooning, climbing, microlighting, horse riding, windsurfing and orienteering facilities the area offers in abundance.

For spectators, the city offers two leading sporting clubs in both football and rugby league, Bradford City and Bradford Bulls. Following their sporting fortunes has been a pleasure (and sometimes agony!) for generations of Bradfordians.

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Culture

A city of culture! The eclectic mix of museums, galleries and attractions in Bradford and the surrounding area reflects the diversity of culture and interests held by the district’s residents and visitors alike.

Saltaire and Salts Mill
The picturesque town of Saltaire was built in the nineteenth century by Victorian philanthropist, Sir Titus Salt, to provide self-contained living space for workers at his woollen mills, and has earned itself UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Row after row of attractive terraced stone cottages are named after Salt’s family members and a stroll through this pretty former industrial village will reveal antique shops, pubs and restaurants. In the heart of Saltaire sits Salt’s Mill. This former textile mill has been beautifully converted into three floors of art, books, jewellery, interiors, a restaurant and a café. It also boasts three galleries housing Europe’s largest collection of works by world-famous Bradford-born artist, David Hockney. Visit the Saltaire website.

Haworth
To the west of Bradford City Centre sits the charming village of Haworth, home to and land of inspiration for the notable literary siblings, the Brontë sisters. A visit to the former family home – now the Brontë Parsonage Museum – will show you how the girls really lived. Haworth is also home to the attractive Keighley and Worth Valley Railway – an authentic, preserved steam railway and set for famous film, The Railway Children. Venture away from the town and enjoy a walk across the dramatic landscape of Haworth’s heather and wild moors, even visiting the famous Wuthering Heights. Visit the Haworth website.

The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television
Bradford is proud to be the home of The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (link) – the most visited museum outside London with around 750,000 visitors every year. This interactive wonderland will take you on a journey through the absorbing world of media from the first moving picture to today’s hi-tech TV tricks and everything in between. Learn about the evolution of computer games, try your hand at animating, enjoy the rotating photography exhibitions, visit the ten interactive galleries or even catch a giant scale movie at the in-house IMAX cinema. Experience TV is the new permanent gallery at the museum which tells the story of television, the race to invent it and the explosion of its popularity, and visitors can even go behind the scenes of TV production.

The Mela
Every year Bradford presents one of the UK’s most important celebrations of music and culture at the Bradford Festival and Mela. The Mela, now in its 17th year, brings together traditional and modern sights, sounds, smells and tastes of India. Bazaars, folk troupes, dance and music fill the parks and streets of Bradford every June with fun, colour and community spirit. Other highlights of the 2-week long festival include the Lord Mayor’s Parade, a street arts festival and a host of fringe events.

The Ilkley Literature Festival
The town of Ilkley hosts a Literature Festival every September with poetry, readings, comedy, short story competitions, workshops and literary walks. The Festival has grown in stature and now regularly attracts the best-selling and most critically acclaimed writers in the country. This year the festival hosts the launch of the newly published JB Prietly novel ‘Bright Day’, which Bradford Centre Regeneration are supporting. Visit the Ilkely Literature Festival’s website.