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London Destination:
The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see
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If you're visiting London, England, for the first time, you may arrive expecting a European city that overflows with pomp and pageantry. Few visitors to London will fail to be impressed by the grandeur and history of such monumental sights as Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral, but that's only a small slice of today's London.
Cosmopolitan London has every visitor attraction from Bengali markets to Belgian restaurants to hand-written Beatles lyrics at the British Library. London offers the best of British food, fashion and cultural pursuits, but its multicultural population gives it an international flair, as well. London has a vibrant mix of languages, dress, festivals and lively street life.
As for sightseeing, visitors to London can ogle orchids at Kew Gardens, the crown jewels at the Tower, millennia of history at the British Museum and spectacular views of the city from the London Eye Ferris wheel—all in a day. An interest in the arts or royalty may be what draws you to London and to England, but you don't have to be an avid theatergoer or a history buff to enjoy yourself thoroughly. London is a place you will want to visit again and again, and each time you visit, London will have something new to offer.
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London sprawls along both banks of the River Thames. Orientation is by boroughs (Westminster and the City are the central boroughs) or by landmarks, such as Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden. Locals use postal codes (Mayfair, Oxford Street and Park Lane, for instance, are in W1—that is, West 1; Bloomsbury and part of the City are in WC2, or West Central 2; Central Kensington falls within W8; South Kensington and Knightsbridge are in SW7).
Central London can be divided into the West End (theaters, shops, restaurants, entertainment); the City (businesses, law courts, ancient buildings); and Westminster (government offices, famous landmarks). Across the river is the South Bank, with its arts venues and concert halls. Slightly beyond the reaches of central London, some of the districts that have experienced regeneration include Notting Hill, W11 (on the fringes of the West End), Greenwich, SE10 (south of the river), Hoxton and Shoreditch in N1 and EC2, and Eastside, E1 (just north and east of Liverpool Street railway terminus).
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The Houses of Parliament with Big Ben
The Houses of Parliament is the place where laws governing British life are debated and enacted. The building originates from 1840 after a fire destroyed the previous building. The Gothic style was designed by Sir Charles Barry with help from A.W. Pugin. Parliamentary tradition is steeped in pomp, ceremony and splendour. The Queen rides in her State coach to Westminster to open each new session of Parliament, usually in the second week in November. A word of caution; in the summer months it can get pretty congested with tourists and traffic competing to cross Parliament Square. Open from: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-2pm & 4-5pm, also Wed 6-7.45pm. Tel: 0207 222 5152.
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Tower Bridge
One of the most famous London attractions and just over a hundred years old, the Tower Bridge with its twin drawbridges, or bascules, each weighing about 1,000 tons have been raised more then half a million times since it was built. It takes only 90 seconds for the bascules to be raised with electric motors which replaced the old steam engines. From Tower Bridge you can view HMS Belfast, an 11,500-ton cruiser that opened the bombardment of the Normandy coast on D-Day. The closest tube stations are, Tower Hill and London Bridge. Open : daily 10am-6:30pm; Nov-March 10am-5:15pm. Tel: 0207 403 3761. |
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London Eye - Millennium Wheel
Based on the bank of the River Thames near Waterloo Station this is a spectacle well worth a visit. This London attraction will blow your mind away. Basically it is the biggest observation wheel in the world, hence its name. It will, over 30 minutes, make a full circle and thus give you a splendid view of London. It towers 135 meters over the Thames River and weighs 2,100 tonnes. If there are clear skies you will have a 25-mile panoramic view. Open: Daily 10.00am - 8.00pm. Late opening to 9.00pm during June to September. Tel: 0870 5000 600. Nearby attractions like Big Ben, Houses of Parliament on the other bank and the bridges over the Thames River will keep your camera busy |
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Trafalgar Square
Here the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson dominates the square from 167 feet above it. Built to commemorate his naval victory in 1805 it is the focal point of this magnificent area. Trafalgar Square was laid out in 1830 and is a popular venue for political rallies and used to be home to thousands of pigeons. The Mayor of London’s recent ruling banning pigeon food sellers is designed to purge this patch of London of a health hazard. The pigeons don’t seem to realize they’re not welcome and you still find tourists feeding them and taking photos with them. Each year people from all parts of London congregate there on December 31 st to celebrate the New Year. Four majestic bronze lions, each 20 feet long and 11 feet tall guard the base of Nelson’s column and the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, with its lunchtime concerts, dating from 1721 makes it popular destination for tourists. |
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The Tower of London
Overlooks the river at the eastern boundary of the old city walls. Chiefly famous as a place of imprisonment and execution, it has variously been used as a royal residence, an armoury, a mint, a menagerie, an observatory and - a function it still serves - a safe-deposit box for the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels are perhaps the major reason so many visitors flock to the Tower. At least some of the Crown Jewels have been kept in the Tower since 1327, on display since Charles II let the public have a look at them. The oldest piece of regalia is the twelfth-century `Anointing Spoon`; the most famous is the `Imperial State Crown`, sparkling with a 317-carat Indian diamond, called the ‘Kohinoor’, a sapphire from a ring said to have been buried with Edward the Confessor, and assorted emeralds, rubies and pearls. Although you can explore the Tower complex independently, it is a good idea to get your bearings by joining up with one of the guided tours, given every thirty minutes by one of the forty-odd eminently photographable Beefeaters. These ex-servicemen are best known for their scarlet-and-gold Tudor costumes |
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The British Museum
This national institution attracts millions of people each year. It is located on the Great Russell Street, London, WC1 and you can reach it by taking the Tube to Russell Square or Tottenham Court Road. You will find almost everything under one roof starting with collections from Egypt, Greek and Roman art, China, old Mesopotamia, Antiques, coins and medals, Prints and drawings, Renaissance and Anglo-Saxon Britain, etc. The sheer size of the museum (2,5 miles of galleries) should warn you to wear a good pair of walking shoes and be prepared to spend most of the day there. Whatever your taste you will have a memorable day out. Open : Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-6pm. Tel: 0207 323 8000. |
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The Victoria & Albert Museum
This is the home of applied arts. Due to the sheer variety and scale of exhibits there is bound to be something to grab your attention. It has the world`s largest collection of Indian art outside India, Chinese, Islamic, Japanese and Korean galleries, more Constable paintings than the Tate; seven Raphael masterpieces and sizable collection of miniatures, watercolours and medieval and Renaissance sculpture, and a splendid collection of Samurai swords, among other things. It is located near South Kensington tube station, at Cromwell road, SW7. Tel: 0207 942 2000.
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London Zoo
ZSL London Zoo has over 12000 amazing animals for you to see. The Zoo has been "bringing down the bars" to allow visitors to get closer to an astonishing 650 species of animal. Highlights include Meet the Monkeys, Butterfly Paradise and Into Africa while you can also experience an 'Animals in Action' display - 30 minutes of flying, foraging and leaping action with animals showing their amazing natural skills and abilities. Young visitors (or the young at heart!) can enjoy an encounter with farmyard favourites at the touch paddock in the Children's Zoo. Two major attractions, Gorilla Kingdom and Clore Rainforest Lookout are incredibly popular – both get you closer than ever to primates of Africa and South America. Admission ranges from 12.50 to 16. Under 3 free.
Regent’s Park, London NW1. (020) 7722-3333 |
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Spencer House
Built in 1756-66 for the first Earl Spencer, ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997), its eight state rooms with 18th Century interiors are open to the public and furnished with antique and neo-classical interiors. Designed by John Vardy and James Stuart, these rooms were some of the first neo-classical interiors in Europe. Stuart’s gilded furniture has been returned to its original location in the Painted Room.
27 St. James's Place. (020) 7499-8620 |
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