Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

The Royal Pavilion Gardens are the green setting of the Royal Pavilion, the Indian-style seaside palace in the middle of Brighton. Built for the future George IV, the Pavilion is one of the most unusual royal residences in Britain, and its gardens are an easy, open space to start exploring the city.

The story behind it

The Pavilion began as a modest seaside villa used by George, Prince of Wales, who later ruled as Prince Regent and then George IV. In 1815 he commissioned its transformation into the oriental palace we see today, with domes, minarets and lavish interiors. The work was carried out by the architect John Nash, and the gardens around it were laid out to suit the new look.

The building has had more than one life. During the First World War it served as a hospital for wounded Indian soldiers, a fitting chapter for a palace dressed in Indian-inspired architecture. It later passed into the ownership of the town and remains a symbol of Brighton.

What to look for

• The onion domes and slender minarets on the roofline, which make the palace look more like something from India than from the south coast of England.
• The pale exterior and its decorative detail, best studied slowly from the garden paths rather than from the street.
• The neighbouring Brighton Dome, which began as stables for the Prince and shows how grand his plans for the site were.
• The lawns and planting around the Pavilion, which give you a series of changing views of the palace as you walk round it.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to wander the gardens and take photos, and longer if you plan to go inside the Pavilion.
• You can walk through the gardens without entering the palace, but the interior needs a ticket, so check current opening hours before you go.
• Soft morning or late afternoon light is kinder for photos, and the gardens are quieter early in the day.
• The Lanes and the seafront are a short walk away, so it fits easily into a wider stroll through central Brighton.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Brighton brings you to the Pavilion on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look closely at the palace instead of just photographing it. One ticket covers the whole group.

Mythic Monster Quests: The Great Gull Of Brighton is a lighter, more playful way to see the same place. You walk between stops at your own pace, hear the story of each one as you get there, and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.