About London

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

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.

• 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 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:

• 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.