Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

The white chalk cliffs of the beautiful Seven Sisters Country Park are best seen from Birling Gap, with fabulous vistas towards Beachy Head. Alternatively, scan your eyes across the Old Town of Hastings from the East Hill, home to Britain’s steepest funicular.

Arts and culture

A hot contender for the title of the UK’s most flamboyant building, the Royal Brighton Pavilion was built for George IV and now houses the engaging Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (www.brighton.virtualmuseum.info). Rudyard Kipling’s home, Bateman’s near Etchingham (+44 (0)1435 882302; www.nationaltrust.org.uk), is an impressive Jacobean house and garden, left much as it was in Kipling’s day; you'll love his 1928 Rolls-Royce and original illustrations for The Jungle Book. Battle Abbey’s heritage centre reveals all about the site of the Battle of Hastings (www.english-heritage.org.uk/1066).

Something for nothing

Ponder the origins of the Long Man of Wilmington – Europe’s largest representation of the human form, which is scored into the northern flanks of the South Downs six miles north of Eastbourne.

Shopping

In Brighton, browse the boutiques and jewellery shops of the Lanes. Jeremy Hoye’s twinkling emporium on Ship Street is a magpie’s dream, with modern but elegant handmade pieces in platinum and gold (+44 (0)845 094 3175). For artwork and homewares, we like Castor and Pollux down in King’s Road Arches (01273 773776). Rye is the place to go for antiques and collectibles; Glass Etc on Rope Walk (+44 (0)1797 226600) is owned by the knowledgable expert and author Andy McConnell, and houses his amazing hoard of 20th-century glassware. Visit Rye’s farmers’ market on Strand Quay on Wednesdays; the quay is also where Rye’s fishing fleet lands its catch each morning.

Daytripper

Genteel seaside town Bexhill is looking lively these days: the De La Warr Pavilion is a Modernist masterpiece and houses an excellent contemporary arts centre (www.dlwp.com). Not lively enough? Take the 20-minute Lydd Air flight across the Channel (www.lyddair.com) – from the airport you can hop on a bicycle, ride into picturesque Le Touquet for lunch and be back for the afternoon flight to Rye. Return tickets cost about £90; don’t forget your passport.

Perfect picnic

In the South Downs just outside Brighton, the Devil’s Dyke valley is a beautiful spot commanding idyllic views over Sussex. The countryside around Rye offers romantic vistas over Romney Marsh; the long golden beaches of Camber Sands are three miles from Rye, but are packed in the height of summer.

Walks

The 100-mile South Downs Way starts near Beachy Head and goes all the way to Winchester; the stretches near Brighton are among the most spectacular (www.nationaltrail.co.uk). In the east of the county, the High Weald Landscape Trail and 1066 Walk both start at Rye; visit www.highweald.org for routes.

Children

The 14th-century Bodiam Castle (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) is a fairy-tale moated fortress near Robertsbridge; it will capture children’s imagination. For animal magic, child-friendly Drusillas Park in Alfriston (www.drusillas.co.uk) is hard to beat, with penguins, meerkats and monkeys galore; and Brighton’s Sea Life centre is one of the best in the UK (+44 (0)1273 604234; www.sealifeeurope.com). AA Milne based 100 acre wood in Winnie-the-Pooh on Ashdown Forest, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (www.ashdownforest.org); fans of the philosophical bear can still play Poohsticks on the original bridge and visit Pooh Corner in Hartfield.

Activities

Have a flutter on the dogs at Brighton’s attractive greyhound track (www.brightondogs.co.uk), or on the horses at Brighton Racecourse (www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk). Head to the coast for water sports from windsurfing to powerboating; Lagoon Watersports (www.hovelagoon.co.uk) has excellent instructors and hire facilities in Brighton and Hove. Visit Sedlescombe Organic Wines near Battle, tour its pretty vineyard and taste the award-winning whites (www.englishorganicwine.co.uk). Alternatively, get your highs from the basket of a hot-air balloon (www.hotair.co.uk).

And

For a fishy lunch on Brighton beach in summer, head to Jack & Linda’s, a traditional fish-smoking shack on the seafront at King’s Road Arches. You’ll get addictive home-made fish soup and the best grilled-mackerel sandwiches imaginable; perfect with a squeeze of lemon. For more ideas, check out our Brighton destination guide.