Zellweger said a stroll along Brighton beach ended up not being what she expected.
The 41-year-old actress told British Harper's Bazaar magazine: "Brighton is not a sleepy little seaside town! It's a dirty town!
"You discover that if you go to the beach at the wrong time, I guess a better word than dirty is 'progressive' - I love it."
Renée added that she still has a soft spot for the British capital London.
The Bridget Jones star said: "Even last week, I missed London, I feel at home in Britain.
"It's familiar, good food - I had a lot of it."