Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Sunny and mild climate in the south west of England
Bournemouth is the ideal place to learn English. This is what you hear again and again from many Students. There must be some truth in that, because no other city is as popular, and has as many students each year as Bournemouth. Even in the quieter time of year, Winter, in the so called 'dead season', there are a few thousand language students in this city. Why is that?

An unusually mild climate, beautiful and long sandy beaches, a very attractive landscape, and the reputation of one of the safest cities, with many parks and gardens have all contributed to this popularity.

The south west of England enjoys a sunny and mild climate. It has approx. 25 % more hours of sunshine than in England on average, 30 % less rain, and only half the number of foggy days. You can even see Palms growing in the south west - it is not surprising that in the Victorian times this region was known as the prettiest and best place to go swimming. If you compare the climate of this region with that in Switzerland, you realise that all that talk about the typical English climate has nothing to do with this place. Bournemouth has a milder climate than Tessin - and even more hours of sun per day.

The mild climate, the beaches that go on for kilometers and the attractive landscape lays the foundation for this very popular swimming area. In the Victorian times it was the wealthy that favoured this region, today people from all over England, as well as people from abroad, come here to swim. Initially it was the rich English pensioners, that enjoyed the climate and the lovely landscape, and chose to live here. Today things are different. Within a few years, Bournemouth has developed from a sleepy Pensioners refuge to a young, sporty, cultural and international city with that certain something that makes a city attractive and successful. Today the city is pulsating with life - and young people from all over the world are contributing to its new image. In addition to the thousands of local students that attend the many High Schools and Colleges, many international language students contribute to the young population as well. It is not surprising with such a lot of young people, that there are many sport and leisure time facilities available. Bournemouth has also made a name for itsself in regards to music, culture and as a city perfect for conferences.

The International Center - a multi purpose building in the south of England - is situated on a very prominant position in Westcliff and offers a panoramic view over the Bay. This center provides a base for concerts, conferences, exhibitions and many other occassions. Musicians, both classical and rock, wouldn't dream of leaving Bournemouth off of their tours schedule. The local theatre scene is also well known. During summer, you will find plays in all 4 theaters in the city. In addition to this, there are many different forms of entertainment in the hotels. The city has a very dynamic night life with many discos, pubs, cinemas and restaurants from all corners of the world. Bournemouth is also a sport paradise. On the beach you can find all possible types of water sport. There are also a big variety of indoor and outdoor sports to play. For instance, there are over 50 tennis courts, and uncountable possibilities to play squash, go bowling, ice skating, play golf, etc. If you don't have your equipment with you, you can always hire what you need.

Bournemouth is also the greenest city in England. On planning the city, the local council made sure that many parks and big gardens were available to the public. As a matter of fact, today more than one sixth of the city is lovely and green, serving as a park or a public garden, that is tendered to by more than 230 fulltime gardeners. That is why Bournemouth is known as the Gardencity.

However the main attraction of the city would have to be the beaches. Left and right of the marked Piers, kilometers of sandy beaches gives you the feeling of freedom. In total there are not less than 11 kilometers of soft, golden beaches with sandstone cliffs as a backdrop. These beaches are not only amongst the cleanest in Europe, but the average water temperature is the warmest within Great Britain, including the Kanal Islands. Off the main season, or early in the morning, the conditions are perfect to go jogging - and in the afternoon, the beach is a popular meeting point for many young people. During the main season, you will find ten thousand people enjoying the beach on an average weekend, and when the sun goes down, the real action begins.

Bournemouth has 160'000 inhabitants and has merged with Poole. The official limits of the city now include many areas with their own centers. You do not have to drive into the center of the city to find a shop or entertainment. This is also true for Charminster, where the Beet Language Centre can be found. The size of the city seems to be ideal for the needs of many students - big enough, that there is always something going on, but small enough to maintain an overview, allowing you to become familiar with everything in a very short time, and to feel at home. The variety of Sport activites available includes almost anything that you could wish for: tennis courts, swimming pools, fitness-clubs, squash clubs, badminton courts, ...football, surfing, baseball, bodybuilding-centers, ice skating, bowling, one of the most beautiful golf ranges in England, excellent horse riding facilities, many sport courses such as : Aerobics, Cricket, Billard, Water skiing, Rowing, Volleyball, Diving, Fishing, Walking, as well as unusual sport activities such as Parachute jumping. What ever you want, you will find it in Bournemouth. The city also offers a lot of culture and evening entertainment. It has its own Symphony-Orchester, Opera, and Ballett.
Bournemouth is also well known for its beautiful and varied landscape. Along the coast you will find many fascinating rock formations. Formations that have been etched after years of harsh winds and waves pounding upon it. New Forest, deserves a special mention, that begins 16 km north east of the city and possesses over 36'000 ha of forrest. It is famous for its picturesque villages and pubs, herds of wild ponys and the variety of birds in which almost all English bird species can be found. Another sight worth seeing is the Compton Acres Gardens, that lay approx. 5 km west and is known as the most beautiful Garden in Europe. Poole (a village close by; 8 km west of Bournemouth), is also worth seeing with its natural harbour - the second largest in the world. There is a salt water lake in Poole-Park that invites you for a dip and a boat trip. In addition Bournemouth is the perfect starting point for excursions to many of the interesting sights worth seeing in England. Everything you ever wanted to see on the south coast, lays in close proximity: the well known English Riviera with palms swaying in the breeze, Winchester, Salisbury and Stonehenge, Exeter and Torquay and so on. Even London is only 95 minutes away with the express train.

The unique qualities of this city, with so many facilities, many first class language schools, in addition to accomodation that is comfortable and inexpensive, are the reason for this undivided populartiy amongst students from all over the world.