More videos
London
Interesting places in London:London (pronounced /|lVnd@n/) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. An important settlement for around two millennia, London is today one of the world's most important business and financial centres,^ and its influence in politics, culture, education, entertainment, media, fashion, sport and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the key global cities.
London boasts a vast number of attractions for the traveller. As a bonus, most attractions in London are free of charge! Following is a selection of some of the most popular and noteworthy (the rest to be found in the various district pages - get exploring!):
Landmarks
The Tower.
Buckingham Palace.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
St.Paul's Cathedral from across the River Thames
Central London
- 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.
- Trafalgar Square - home of Nelson's Column and the lions, and once a safe haven for London's pigeons until the recent introduction of hired birds of prey. 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 'center', and has recently been pedestrianized.
- Oxford Street - The largest shopping street in Europe
- Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster (including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament) in . The seat of the British parliament and site, as well as setting for royal coronations since 1066, most recently that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
- Buckingham Palace - the official London residence of the Queen, one of several royal palaces in London. Open for tours during the summer months only, but a must-see sight even if you don't go in.
- - 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.
Tourists enjoy a rest at Piccadilly Circus
- Piccadilly Circus - London's "Times Square".
South Bank
- The London Eye is the world's largest observation wheel, situated on the of the Thames with magnificent views over London.
- Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, situated on the a fantastic modern reconstruction of the Tudor period Globe Theatre, scene of some fine Shakespearian moments
City
- The Tower of London, situated just south east of , is London's original royal fortress by the Thames. It is over 900 years old, contains the Crown Jewels, is guarded by Beefeaters, and is a site.
- Tower Bridge is the iconic 19th century bridge located by the Tower of London near . It is decorated with high towers and featuring a drawbridge and you can visit the engine rooms and a Tower Bridge exhibition.
- St Paul's Cathedral, in , is Sir Christopher Wren's great accomplishment, built after the 1666 Great Fire of London - the great dome is still seated in majesty over The City. A section of the dome has such good acoustics that it forms a "Whispering Gallery."
- Temple in , east of Somerset House, is a small realm of serenity in the midst of the typical turmoil. It used to be the court of the Templar Knights. You can still visit the beautiful Romanesque church, which is one of the oldest ones in London.
Southwark
- Southwark Cathedral - off the traditional tourist path, Southwark Cathedral has been the site of worship since 852 AD. Literally in the shadow of London Bridge, the Cathedral is a shelter from the noise of the city.
Highgate
- Highgate Cemetery , Where you can go on a guided tour of the overgrown western cemetery which gives it a special beauty and charm, or self guided on the east side where you'll find the grave of Karl Marx. There are known to be at least 850 notable people buried at Highgate. It has been said that Highgate has the finest collection of Victorian funerary architecture in the country
South Kensington
- Royal Albert Hall - landmark location of many world-renowned concerts (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin), still plays host to top shelf entertainment. In summer, the are a varied classical music festival, and first-come first-served standing tickets can be had for £5 (2006 price). Doors open 30mins before the performance (which generally begins at 7.30pm) but a queue starts earlier, around 6pm for a 'normal' concert and considerably earlier if there are big-name performers. Seated tickets are also available for £20-£50; often there are some still available on the night. Special rules restrict entrance to the famous Last Night in September; you will not be able to get in without attending at least 6 other Proms!
Notting Hill
- Portobello Road - claimed to be the world's largest antiques market. For antiques, souvenirs and other knick-knacks or simply a walk through time. At night this is one of the best pick up areas in London, at least for women needing men anyway.
Greenwich
- Maritime Greenwich - home of Greenwich Mean Time, the Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory - site
- The o2 - The former Millennium Dome has been transformed into a major entertainment complex consisting of a large arena which plays host to a number of world class acts; a cinema which includes the largest screen in the UK and numerous bars and restaurants.
Museums and Galleries
London hosts an outstanding collection of world-class museums. Even better, it is the only one of the three traditional "alpha world cities" (along with and ) in which the majority of the museums have no entrance charges, thus allowing visitors to make multiple visits with ease.
Although the rest of London may be expensive, many of its best museums and galleries are free including both Tates, the National and National Portrait Galleries, the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum, and most things in Greenwich. Temporary exhibits do cost money, however. Audioguides are available at many of the major museums; many of these are free of charge, though there may be a suggested donation at the entrance.
Central London
- National Gallery - excellent art collection, the vast majority of which is free of charge to visit. The audioguides are very comprehensive, have comments on most of the paintings in the museum, and are free, though this fact is not advertised, and a donation is suggested.
- National Portrait Gallery just around the corner from the National gallery; also admission free excepting some exhibitions
Bloomsbury
- British Museum - one of the world's great museums, founded in 1753 - a vast repository of the world's cultures and free entrance.
- Cartoon Museum - A vast collection of cartoons and comics on display. Located near the British Museum, it has an admission fee of £3 for adults, and is free for students.
- Foundling Museum - a museum and a gallery telling the story of the Foundling Hospital, an orphanage for abandoned children founded in the eighteenth century. Massive art donations by British artists and the involvement of George Frideric Handel as a patron made this child care organization an early center of art and music. Admission is £5.
North West London
- the Sherlock Holmes Museum is at 239 Baker Street (aka 221B Baker Street). A must see for Holmes fans but do remember that there is no 221B Baker Street!
- the RAF Museum , in Hendon, is a longish Tube ride from Central London is a must for any war buffs. It has extensive galleries detailing the history of the RAF and its aircraft. A sound and light show inside the museum focuses on the Blitz.
South Bank
- Museum of London - a great place to visit to understand the history and development of the city, from prehistoric times to recent history, with plenty of detail on the Roman and Medieval cities - admission is free
Tate Modern
- Tate Galleries - Tate Britain and Tate Modern - showcases of some of the best of British and Modern Art respectively - mostly free entry
- Saatchi Gallery - closed and moving to Chelsea, opens in early 2007
- London Dungeon brings to life the gorier elements of London's past, with faithful recreations of disaster, disease, and torture. Younger children may be scared.
South Kensington
- the Victoria and Albert Museum - highlights the decorative arts such as fashion and furniture - admission free
- the Natural History Museum - the dinosaur exhibit complete with life-sized roaring T-Rex is popular with kids (and adults), but the museum really excels with the galleries devoted to mammals, insects and the human body. There is also a new wing where groups can tour a research facility and the Museum's historic stocks of pickled specimens (well worth a visit, but not for the squeamish!) - free entry
- Science Museum - packed with science and industry; there are galleries devotes to many subjects, including space, nuclear physics, genetics, and computing; the top floor is, appropriately, taken up with the history of flight and many historic aircraft, including a Spitfire and a Hurricane.
Southwark
- the Imperial War Museum - London site, with an afternoon's worth of British military history, is free except for some special exhibitions; the same institution owns the Central London Cabinet War Rooms, HMS Belfast (a WWII cruiser, now a floating museum extensive enough to satisfy the most warlike son or husband), and Duxford Air Museum, an airbase a day trip from London with five hangars' worth of historic aircraft (you are unlikely to fit everything in in one visit).
Greenwich
- National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory Greenwich - home of the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time. Highlights include the lovely walk up to the observatory (with a great view of the river) and the collection of old clocks and navigational instruments - admission free except for special exhibitions
Other Neighborhoods
- Sir John Soane's Museum - free but groups must prebook and may need to make donation
- The Wallace Collection - home to old master paintings, furniture, porcelain, arms and armor and other fine art. Free tours, charges for special workshops
- Pollock's Toy Museum Trust - no longer at Scala Street. Pollock's Toy Museum charges an entrance fee.
- The Canal Museum . Near King's Cross at 12/13 New Wharf Road, the museum is housed in a former ice wharehouse on Regent's Canal. £3 admission. Closed Mondays (except Bank Holidays).
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:
Lawn chair in Kensington Gardens.
- 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) its collection of public sculpture, and for being a venue of choice for world-class music and other events, such as the annual 'Party in the Park', a concert in aid of the Prince's Trust, and the record-breaking Live8 concert of 2005.
- Hampstead Heath - One of the three main parks in Central London (Along with Hyde Park and Regent's Park). Most famous for its 360 degree panoramic sweeping views of Central London and Kenwood House, the stately home where scenes from the movie Notting Hill were filmed.
- Kensington Gardens - blends into Hyde Park at its western end, features Kensington Palace and the Albert Memorial, 111 ha (275 acres) in size
- Green Park - 16 ha in size
- St James' Park
- Regents Park and the London Zoo(ological Gardens)
- 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
- Richmond Park - The largest Royal Park in London at 1000 ha (2500 acres) in size. On a clear day, views can stretch as far as central London.
- Battersea Park . On the river next to the iconic Battersea Power Station.
- Brockwell Park . Running from Brixton to Herne Hill, this houses the famous Brockwell Lido.
- Holland Park . Located near Notting Hill, this is one of the best kept secrets in all of London. It features a traditional Japanese (Koi) water garden, sports facilities, children’s play areas, nature reserve, and even a nice cafeteria and restaurant right in the center of the park.
- Clapham Common The heart of South London's hippest district
- Victoria Park - The city's first public park, located in the East End
- Wimbledon Common A large area (460 hectares) of woodlands, open grass areas and healthland with a windmill, nature trails and ponds.
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 are now policed by a division of the Metropolitan Police Service for London. It takes over from the Royal Parks Constabulary which policed Royal Parks prior to the Metropolitan Police.
Top photos chosen by u all:
Battersea Power Station and Grosvenor Bridge
Made by Dave Gorman
While taking this series of shots of Battersea Power Station in the early hours a police car pulled up on Grosvenor Road and two officers, one female, one male got out. They told me that they were stopping me under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and asked what I was doing. Taking photos, said I. What of? asked she Battersea Power Station, I said. Would you like to see some. Yes, if you don't mind, she said. I showed her a picture. Can I see some more? I showed her 6 or 7. They're very good, she said. Have you go any ID? Yeah, I said, handing her my driver's licence... what do you need that for? If we stop anyone under the Prevention of Terrorism Act we have to fill in some paperwork. Do you have any possessions? I pointed at my bike with a bag on the panier. Just that, I said. Okay... well, even looking through your camera constitues a search so we have to fill in the form. She started filling in Form 5090: Stops and Searches. It's a beautiful building, said her colleague. The thing is, we're in Central London and we have to be really careful these days. I like your shots though... very nice. What do you do with them? Nothing really, I said. I'll probably put a couple of them on a website. Right. What website is that then? Flickr Oh flickr! said the WPC, stopping her form-filling for a moment. I've got photos on there. Photos of my wedding from 7 weeks ago. Really? I asked. It's good isn't it? Oh... and congratulations on 7 weeks ago. Thanks, she said with a smile. So... have you ever been arrested? Err.... no She picked up her walkie talkie and contacted someone else, asking them to run a check on my name. There was no awkward break in the conversation though as her colleague picked up the slack. So, is digital the same as a film camera at night? he asked. How do you mean? Y'know, exposure time and all that... with the poor light, he explained. Yeah, I guess so, I said. That's why I like night time photography. But I've never been any good with film. The walkie-talkie crackled into life to tell them there was no match with my details. Do you mind if I write down that website? asked PC Chap. It's flickr.com said PC Lady. There are thousands of people posting photos there. I explained. How do I find yours? he asked. flickr.com, slash photos, slash dgbalancesrocks, I said. Don't ask. Here's your copy of the form, she said, handing it to me. Nice chatting to you. You can carry on if you like. Thanks, I said. Have a good evening. Thanks, said he. Thanks, said she. And they drove off into the night. It was all surprisingly jolly. A novel good cop/good cop routine. I've got the form here. Stop Code: B = To check personal details/documents. Search Code: J = Terrorism 44(2) Outcome Code: 1 = No further action Search started 12.55am. Search ended 12.57. Grounds for Search or Reason for Stop: Male seen taking photos of powerstation. Vicinity of bridges, within government security zone. Stopped under terrorism act. They were both lovely and chatty. It was a surprisingly friendly and untroubled exchange. If either of them have popped along to see if the photos have been posted: Hello!
London City Hall
Made by J.Salmoral
City Hall in London, informally known as the Leaning Tower of Pizzas or Fosters Nutsack (see also 30 St Mary Axe), is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. It stands on the south bank of the River Thames, in the More London development by Tower Bridge. Designed by Norman Foster, it opened in July 2002. The building has an unusual bulbous shape, intended to reduce the building's surface area and thus improve energy efficiency. It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg, a woodlouse or a motorcycle helmet. London Mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a glass testicle. Its designers reportedly saw the building as a giant sphere hanging over the Thames, but opted for a more conventionally rooted building instead. The building has no front or back on conventional terms but derives its shape from a modified sphere. If you want you can see my most interesting photos in this
Canary Wharf, London, UK
Made by nardip
©2007 Nardip Singh Bhatia, All Rights Reserved www.thephotocode.com www.nardip.com Towering heights of London office views One Canada Square, 8 Canada Square and 25 Canada Square are the 3 largest buildings in London today. They are respectively 235m, 200m and 200m in height. 25 Canada Square is occupied by Citigroup (middle building). One Canada Square is the tallest building in the entire UK (just behind it). 8 Canada Square is the world headquarters of HSBC and in April 2007 (to the right of citigroup), it became Britain's first building to be sold for more than £1 billion.
KEEP CLEAr
Made by Miodrag Bogdanovic
Westminster Abbey, London #16 in interestingness (on 2007-08-19) __________________________ My most interesting pictures: www.flickriver.com/photos/mitja/popular-interesting/ www.worldthroughlens.com
The world is my playground!
Made by Miodrag Bogdanovic
The Hill Garden, West Heath of Hampstead Heath, London (same time, same space - ) Highest position in Explore: 15 on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 Thank You all! :)
YTG London 15th Sept 2007: Leicester Square
now also relevent for the new ytg coming up on the 15th sept....ytg you tube gathering youtube leicester square london renetto blade376 kazzart kwaichi
Train Drivers View
This is the drivers view from the cab on a London Underground train. This is not a deep level tube line but the subsurface Circle line. The stations
Ég í London
Þetta er GEÐVEIK borg!!...London Heimsborgarinn Ísland Íslendingur Piccadilly Big Ben Newton Icelandic Buckingham Palace Eye Tower Bridge Thames
London Fashion Week 2007 with StylistBrighton
Its been London Fashion week this week so i have given you all a sneaky peak at the exhibition from today. I met Erin O'Conner as i
Thoroughly Good : Roughcuts (London)
Sights and sounds from Central London in early June 2007...thoroughlygood london jonjacob
EUROSTAR Paris-London (2/2)
EUROSTAR Paris-London (2/2)...EUROSTAR Paris London
London Window Cleaners
Watch as modern window cleaners clean outter office buildings. Respect!...window cleaner london steaming victoria england
Ritz Hotel London (Hotel Room Video)
Ritz Hotel London (Hotel Room Video)...Ritz Hotel London
Rent - London Opening Night
London: October 15, 2007. Stars were out on this Monday night to see the opening night of the musical hit Rent at the Duke of York's Theatre
London 2007 New Year Fireworks
Part of the fireworks in London in 2007 New Year...new year london 2007 fireworks
Homecoming Revolution London October 2007 v1
Homecoming Revolution London October 2007 http://www.homecomingrevolution.co.za Photos on http://www.sapromo.com...saffarazzi
London to Beijing by Bicycle 2006
Wilson, George Wallis and Chris Taylor recently completed an epic 10000 mile journey from London to Beijing by bicycle. The route took them through Europe, Turkey,
Journey by a London Bus (1950)
Britain', 'England' and 'London' all refer to exactly the same place....1950 london buses brokentv vls excellently cheesy old government informational
The Church-London
of the coolest club in london The Church from 12-4 every sunday in Kentish Town London...the church kentish town london forum club bar
Alex Jones In London - Part 1
Alex Jones visits London, England to investigate the bombings of 7/7/05, and the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes by Metropolitan Police on 7
Ella Fitzgerald, live in London (1965) #6
Ella Fitzgerald, one of the world's greatest jazz singers, from TV Centre in London on 8 May 1965. She sings holding a chiffon scarf, and is
Fieldyweb: Kingsway, Holborn, London.
A video of a quick walk around Holborn Underground station in London...Holborn
London Oasis, entertainment & a meeting place for Londoners
a light show which responds to the movement of people around. http://www.thelondonoasis.com/...london oasis chetwoods clerkenwell
Nearest places of interest:
| Myatts Fields Brixton Academy Herne Hill Cycle Stadium Goose Green | Oakmayne Plaza Elephant and Castle Kennington park Metropolitan Tabernacle |
Popular places:
|
London Stock.. Glasgow Edinburgh Belfast |
United Kingdom Cardiff University C.. London Schoo.. |
