T

he man behind the graff has been unmasked in recent years, but the world’s most notorious graffiti artist has always been associated with his home town of Bristol.

This is thanks to the fact that he has transformed his native city into an urban gallery, which visitors can see by taking to the streets themselves and attempting to spot the artist’s most famous pieces.

And it’s not just Banksy that has adorned Bristol’s alleyways and walls. There is a plethora of other street arts to take in. Take a stroll around the Stokes Croft area which is a hotbed for counter-culture and graffiti; it’s also home to Banksy’s ‘Welcome to the West’ mural and the excellent Here Gallery.

If you fancy more typical galleries, head to the harbourside for the Arnolfini, which showcases experimental work over five exhibition spaces. After chin-stroking your way around, head up Park Street and you’ll soon see Banksy’s famous work of a man hanging from a window sill.

Still want more? Take a short detour away to Upper Maudlin Street where you’ll see the Boy with a Bag opposite the children’s hospital or carry on up Park Street to Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery which was home to a major Banksy exhibition in 2009.

You can still see some humorous remnants of that show as well as an excellent collection of art and antiquities. When it comes to free art, Bristol has it in the bank-sy.