Eight of the best things about Hull, the UK's next City of Culture

As Hull celebrates being named UK City of Culture for 2017, tourism chiefs in the city will be looking forward to an increase in visitors thanks to its new accolade.

But what can those who take a trip towards the Humber expect from the city which is home to 260,000 people?

THE LONGEST SINGLE-SPAN SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN BRITAIN

The Humber Bridge, near Hull, is a whopping 2,220 m (7,280ft) long, making it the longest single-span suspension bridge in the UK, the second longest in Europe, and the fifth longest in the world.

The bridge opened to traffic in June 1981, and now carries over 120,000 vehicles per week.

Before the bridge opened drivers would have to cross from the East Riding of Yorkshire to North Lincolnshire by taking a ferry or driving via three different motorways.

OLD TOWN, NEW TRICKS

Hull's 'Old Town' is one of its established landmarks and a regular tourist hotspot.

Visitors can drink in the sights of the city's oldest pubs on an 'Ale Trail', or go on the 'Wilberforce Walk' taking in the politician's birthplace.

[Hull named UK City of Culture for 2017]

If that's not enough, you could try experiencing the 'A-Z of Fish' - a 41-piece pavement which includes everything from a tiny anchovy to a 10ft ray.

HULL CALLING

Hull is the only UK city with its own phone network company, KC (formerly Kingston Communications, who still sponsor the city's sport stadium).

Because of this it has its own distinctive 'cream' phone boxes, and produces its own 'White Pages' telephone directory.

FAMOUS SONS

Famous 'Hullensians' include William Wilberforce, the politician instrumental in abolishing slavery, wartime poet Philip Larkin, who lived there for 30 years, and actress Maureen Lipman.

Hull also has its fair share of modern sporting and political heavyweights - namely former deputy PM John Prescott, and footballer Dean Windass.

THE MUSEUM OF CLUB CULTURE

Ever wanted to visit a museum celebrating all aspects of clubbing? Of course you have.

Claiming to be the first and only museum of its kind in the world, The Museum of Club Culture features exhibits on 'past and present club cultures and street styles'.

[Eight things you didn't know came from Yorkshire]

Recent exhibits include a collection of unseen David Bowie photographs, and a mysterious-sounding urban art project simply entitled 'Lamp Posts'.

HOME OF BOILED SWEETS

The humble boiled sweet, a form of confectionary now enjoyed the world over, was invented in Hull.

Famed Hull-based sweet manufacturer Needler's, founded in the city in the 19th century, were the first to produce the hard treats.

The firm produced boiled sweets and hundreds of other forms of confectionary, before the company was sold in 1986.

MUSICAL HERITAGE

David Bowie's band when he performed as Ziggy Stardust, 'The Spiders from Mars', were from Hull.

1980s group The Housemartins (who would later become The Beautiful South), also hail from the city.

Ben Watt and Tracy Thorn, two members of Everything But The Girl, met at university in Hull, and named their group after a junk shop in the city.

ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR AQUARIUMS IN THE WORLD

Billed as 'the world's only submarium', Hull takes great pride in its aquarium, called The Deep.

And with 3,500 fish and seven different species of shark in 2.5million litres of water, there's certainly a lot to boast about.

It was built in 2002 at Sammy's Point, a city landmark situated at the confluence of the River Hull and Humber Estuary.