Life
Portsmouth city life
Portsmouth is a cosy and compact city, and not short of great world-class attractions, entertainment venues, places to relax and sports centres.
Many of Portsmouth's tourist attractions are related to its naval history. Visit Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and discover 800 years of maritime history, including visits to the Mary Rose, HMS Victory, the D-Day Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
You can have great fun with visiting the Blue Reef Aquarium, the Pyramids Centre entertainment complex, Cumberland House Natural History Museum or just enjoy the miles of waterfront and beaches. Southsea Beach is just a short walk from the city centre and includes the coastal promenade, park, gardens and the historic Southsea Castle. The long beach is backed by the green spaces of Southsea Common that plays host to the annual Kite Festival.
Fans of beautiful sights can make the most of the iconic Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf Quays, which is 170 meters tall and has Europe's largest glass floor. The Pyramids Centre and the Mountbatten Centre offers a range of sporting activities, including swimming, gym, cycling, etc.
There are a number of bars and clubs in Portsmouth, and those in search of a good local pub will be well catered for along Southsea's Albert Road. Take your pick from one of the many shopping areas in the city: Gunwharf Quays, the Commercial Road and the Cascades Shopping Centre.
Regular ferry services can take you from Portsmouth to France, Spain and the Isle of Wight.
International atmosphere in Portsmouth
Portsmouth is one of the most densely populated city in the United Kingdom and one of the country’s most culturally diverse places. Foreign communities comprise almost 20% of Portsmouth’s total population, with international residents having a variety of main languages. Some of the most common languages spoken in Portsmouth, other than English, include Polish, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Arabic, Kurdish, French, Filipino, German and Greek.
Moreover, almost half of the students in Portsmouth are overseas students, or coming from non-EU and EU countries. You will be exposed to a wide range of different backgrounds in Portsmouth, which will significantly open up your cultural and global understanding.
Weather Portsmouth
Because Portsmouth is located on the south coast, the city receives more sunshine during the year than most of the UK and much of Western Europe. The average temperature in the summer is 18°C (64 °F), with July being the hottest month. During winter, frosts are short-lived and snow is quite rare, with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing. The medium temperature in January is 7 °C (44 °F).