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London Landmarks
London
boasts a vast number of attractions for the traveller. Following is a
selection of some of the most popular and noteworthy (the rest to be
found in the various district pages - get exploring!):
Through
to the campaign Everyones London you will get great discounts (up to
50%) on many attractions, if you can present a valid travel ticket.
These include the London Eye, the Aquarium, Madame Tussauds, special
exhibitions in museums, various restaurants and shows like Saturday
Night Fever. To check out how much you get where, visit the Transport
of London website.
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the London Eye - a
giant wheel on the South Bank of the river Thames with magnificent
views
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the Tower of London -
London's original royal fortress by the Thames, over 900 years
old, containing the Crown Jewels, guarded by Beefeaters, and a
World Heritage site
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St Paul's Cathedral -
Sir Christopher Wren's great accomplishment, built after the 1666
Great Fire of London - the great dome still seated in majesty over
the City
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Shakespeare's Globe
Theatre - a fantastic modern reconstruction of the Tudor period
Globe Theatre, scene of some fine Shakespearian moments
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Tower Bridge - the
magnificent 19th century bridge, decorated with high towers and
featuring a drawbridge. The up-and-coming area of Bankside sits to
its west, and the regenerated Butler's Wharf area of shops,
reasonably priced riverside restaurants and the London Design
Museum lie to its east.
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Westminster Abbey and
the Palace of Westminster (including Big Ben and the Houses of
Parliament) - seat of the British parliament and World Heritage
site. Note that the Abbey itself charges tourists for entry -- but
not worshippers. Attend a church service for free and enjoy some
of the finest choral music in London from the choir. Evensong (see
Abbey website) at 4PM or 5PM, depending on time of year, is an
especially good bet
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Buckingham Palace -
the official London residence of the Queen, one of several royal
palaces in London. Open for tours during the summer months only.
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Somerset House - this
magnificent 18th century building off the Strand, recently
restored to the public, houses the collections of the Courtauld
Institute of Art, Gilbert Collection and Hermitage Rooms. You'll
also find shops, cafés, a restaurant and the spectacular Fountain
Court, scene of public ice-skating in the winter.
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Trafalgar Square -
home of Nelson's Column and the lions, and once a safe haven for
London's pigeons. It recently attracted controversy over the
'Fourth plinth', previously empty, being temporarily home to a
Marc Quin sculpture, 'Alison Lapper Pregnant'. Overlooked by the
National Gallery, it's the nearest London has to a 'centre', and
has recently been pedestrianised. Previously, traffic used to
circle the entire fountain and statuary area.
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Leicester Square -
Possibly one of the busiest areas in London. It houses the largest
cinemas (frequently hosting star-studded premieres), as well as
cafes and restaurants. Due to the huge influx of tourists,
everything from cinema tickets to bottles of water are very
expensive.
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Piccadilly Circus
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Maritime Greenwich -
home of Greenwich Mean Time, the Cutty Sark and the Royal
Observatory - World Heritage site
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Royal Albert Hall -
landmark location of many world-renowned concerts (Pink Floyd, Led
Zeppelin), still plays host to top shelf entertainment. In summer,
the BBC Proms are a somewhat eccentric series of concerts, and
first-come first-served standing tickets can be had for £4 (2005
price). Turn up early (i.e., before noon) if you hope to get in
standing for any Prom of particular note.
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Portobello Road -
claimed to be the world's largest antiques market. For antiques,
souvenirs and other knick-knacks or simply a walk through time.
Camden Market is often claimed to be the new Portobello Road.
Museums and Galleries
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the British Museum -
one of the world's great museums, founded in 1753 - a vast
repository of the world's cultures
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the National Gallery -
and the National Portrait Gallery just around the corner
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the Museum of London -
a great place to visit to understand the history and development
of the city
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the Tate Galleries -
Tate Britain and Tate Modern - showcases of some of the best of
British and Modern Art respectively
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the Victoria and
Albert Museum
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the Natural History
Museum
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the Science Museum
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the Sir John Soane's
Museum
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the Saatchi Gallery
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the National Maritime
Museum and Royal Observatory Greenwich
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the Wallace Collection
- home to Old Master Paintings, Furniture, Porcelain, Arms and
Armour and other Fine Art.
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the Pollock's Toy
Museum
Parks and Gardens
The
'green lungs' of London are the many parks, great and small, scattered
throughout the city. Some of the best-known and most-popular are:
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Hyde Park - the West
End's back garden, Hyde Park is the largest central London park at
140 ha (350 acres) in size. Noted for the large number of recreational
possibilities, for the Serpentine (the central large lake) and
collection of public sculpture
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Kensington Gardens -
blends into Hyde Park at its western end, features Kensington
Palace and the Albert Memorial, 111 ha (275 acres) in size
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Green Park - 16 ha in
size
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St James' Park
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Regents Park and the
London Zoological Gardens
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Kew Gardens - the
Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in south-west London are one of
London's most popular attractions, easily accessed by public
transport
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Richmond Park
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Brockwell Park.
Running from Brixton to Herne Hill, this houses the famous
Brockwell Lido.
Most of
the larger parks have their origins in royal estates and hunting
grounds and are still owned by the Crown, despite their public access.
These royal parks have their own Police Service, known as the Royal
Parks Constabulary.
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