Walk Fest and Go Jauntly

Councillor Donald Alexander, smiling with trees and College Green in the background.
Today’s guest blog is from Councillor Donald Alexander, Cabinet Member for Transport and Labour Councillor for Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston.

Spring has sprung, and we can all enjoy the longer days, warmer weather, and the daffodils, bluebells, and tulips that are flowering all over the city.

With Walk Fest taking place throughout May, now is the perfect time to take to the great outdoors and plan your walks to celebrate Living Streets’ National Walking Month.

Walk Fest began over a decade ago and is a month-long festival that celebrates all things walking. As one of the main funders of the festival, it’s a great opportunity for us to highlight some of our more well-trodden routes along with hidden gems that you may not know about.

From self-guided walks and guided tours to workshops and family events, there are more than 200 activities and walks to discover. Find out more and download the programme.

Go Jauntly Bristol Walks

People are pictured walking over Pero's Bridge.

We’ve been working with Go Jauntly and Walk Fest to offer you a huge range of walking routes to follow on your smartphone. You can use the free app to discover some of the best walks in Bristol.

There are plenty to choose from, including following a walk along Whitchurch Way, enjoying a street art tour, and learning more about the black history of Bristol. You can also visit the most picturesque spots in the city, explore Clifton Square, and discover green spaces across south Bristol.

Greener walking routes for Bristol

We’re delighted to have worked with Go Jauntly and the Tranquil City team on the exciting Green Routes Tranquillity Scores feature. This allows app users in Bristol to choose the greenest, more tranquil route for their everyday walk, by using data on air quality, noise and tree cover in the city,

A survey of people who’ve used the Green Route alternative showed: 70 per cent felt more relaxed and less tense; 50 per cent felt happier; and 36 per cent were more likely to choose walking over an alternative transport method.

You can start using the enhanced journey planner to plan walks to work, school and trips to the shops that helps you seek out nature and avoid busier, more polluted streets.

The picture shows an example of a greener walking route, going from Hotwells to Gloucester Road.

Make walking a habit

Remember, you don’t need to go on a hike to get all the health benefits of a walk and reduce your impact on the environment, you could start:

  • walking as part of your journey to work
  • using the stairs instead of a lift
  • walking to the shops
  • leaving your car behind for short journeys
  • walking the kids to school
  • doing a regular walk with a friend
  • going for a stroll with family or friends after dinner

By walking for more of your journeys it will become a habit and part of your daily route. It will help you take regular exercise and can help with mobility as you get older.

A good way to get back into walking is to add variety to your walks. There are lots of interesting walks to be discovered in Bristol, including our parks and green spaces, heritage and art trails, riverside paths, woodland walks and more.

So, whether you stomp, roam, ramble, hike or wander, get out and about every day with the help of the Go Jauntly app and its unlimited walks.

The poster has blue and green text that reads Bristol Walkfest. A orange banner in the bottom right of the image has text that reads: 1-31 May 2023. Their logo is a cartoon of the Clifton Suspension Bridge other buildings and a hot air baloon.