This week Bristol Doors Open Days 2017 begins, a free 4-day event giving families the chance to explore fascinating buildings usually closed to the public, as well as lots of creative activities and events to enjoy.

Taking place from Thursday 7th until Sunday 10th September, the theme this year will be ‘Sensing Space’, inviting children and adults to touch, smell, taste and listen as well as looking at the many open buildings in a new light.

Many of the 100+ buildings open during the event will also offer specially devised tours and interactions.

You can follow your nose to see how scent affects your sense of space from the tempting aromas of Avery’s Wine Cellars and the Dawkins Ale brewery, to the more pungent perfumes of Bristol Sewage Treatment Works or Bristol Waste’s depot.

Your taste buds can be tickled in carefully designed spaces where food growing provides enticement and intrigue.

You can go to Frenchay to see how Feed Bristol has transformed urban food production, lose yourself in the layout of the Malago Greenway Berry Maze, or get out to play at Windmill Hill City Farm or Golden Hill Community Garden.

Feel your way around the city as you take a dip into Henleaze Swimming Lake, dance across the sprung floor of the former Jacob Wells Baths and clamber into the man-made tunnels of Redcliffe Caves.

Listen to the sounds of the city from sunrise to sundown by joining the dawn chorus from a church tower or hotel penthouse suite, appreciate the acoustic reverberations of diverse sacred spaces, or catch the pop-up choirs surprising visitors throughout the weekend.

With over 1,000 volunteers taking part in the event, there will be a warm welcome waiting behind every door, hatch or gateway in almost every ward of the city.

Alongside sensory investigations, the festival has a host of interactive activity.

And for budding young architects, there will be free family activities at a vast majority of venues throughout the weekend.

Creative community hubs are opening at All Hallows Church, Easton, and Shirehampton Public Hall, all part of the Architecture Centre’s year-round programme Opening Doors to Heritage.

Bristol Doors Open Days is the largest festival of architecture in the South West and is a great opportunity for families to explore many amazing buildings and venues.

Some of the venues and buildings opening their doors need pre-booking. To see the full range of venues you can download your Bristol Doors open Guide HERE.

For more information about the Bristol Doors Open Days 2017 visit www.bristoldoorsopenday.org.uk.