The perfect moment to walk along Bristol’s floating harbour is early evening, around five or six o’clock, when the red brick and rusted metal are catching sunset light. You could start at the Prince Street bridge then make your way along the harbourside to the SS Great Britain. Even if you take this route every day, you might not know much about the background of this area.

Every Bristolian would recognise the bulk ex-warehouse shape of Arnolfini gallery, on the corner of Bordeaux Quay - whether they’ve been in or not (for the record, it’s open every day except Mondays and it costs nothing to get in). Not every Bristolian will know that the gallery’s home, Bush House, was originally a tea warehouse; all along the floating harbour, there are buildings just like it. These places are modelled in what’s surreally named the ‘Bristol Byzantine’ style. Incorporating Byzantine and Moorish elements, architects in the late 19th century gave Bristol the kind of facades that nod back to the watery streets of Venice. The Granary on Welsh Back, for example, is a flamboyant instance of the style. It boasts unusual round and semi-circular windows and arches, picked out with black and white bricks. There are small touches, here and there, that will be more familiar: the main windows on the Arnolfini are recessed and topped with half-circle windows; Colston Hall has a little arched porch with stone pillars.

The Spike Island side of the harbour is more a monumental than an architectural wonder. The old cranes have become relics of another era; even the Museum of Industry has closed down. If you want industrial history, it’s better to look at the warehouses which have found an afterlife as apartments, clubs, bars, art galleries and restaurants. Bristol’s maritime past is still remembered onboard the SS Great Britain; the museum promises to recreate the feel of Brunel’s Victorian vessel for visitors, telling the stories of its transatlantic passengers. The SS Great Britain is open to visitors every day this summer.

The harbourside has received millions of pounds to reinvent itself as an area for tourism and leisure and the biggest event hosted by the harbour itself is the fantastic Bristol Harbour Festival. In the first weekend of July, you can experience jazz bands, DJs and fireworks around Bordeaux Quay - but the main attraction is the congregation of boats in Bristol’s waterways. Tall ships and sailing ships vie for attention with some of the Royal Navy’s best-looking vessels. Even for those who don’t know their galley from their gunwale, it’s a sight to behold.

So, where to walk: just over the Prince Street bridge, you’ll be stood beside a towering metal archway. Once some utile industrial device, it now signifies the start of the harbourside walk on Spike Island. Follow the disused rails through this gateway. It’s busy this time of evening: people will be walking against you, cycling around you on their way home and rowers will be pulling through the water beside you. The harbourside is no longer busy with industry but instead with visitors and tourists keep it a vital part of city life. Visit in a quiet moment, as the sun is sinking over Clifton, to enjoy the second life of Bristol’s docks.

Ellie Broughton