London is the political, economic and cultural capital of Britain, and its world class tourist attractions are renowned across the globe. The Greater London area is bursting with attractions for visitors of all ages. With 30 historic gardens and 123 historic buildings, London also has more than 200 museums, 600 cinema screens, and 108 music halls. London's 33 boroughs, including the City of London, are spread over an area of 1572 square kilometers.
The river Thames runs through the heart of London, from Richmond in the west, through the central London borough of Westminster, to Greenwich in the east. London river cruises and river buses are a great way to see the city.
London is a leading global city. It is the world's largest financial centre alongside New York, and is home to the headquarters of more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies. It has the most international visitors of any city in the world.
The World Nuclear Association Symposium will be held at Central Hall Westminster. Many of London’s top attractions lie only a short distance from here, such as Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Park. The location is also within London’s “theatreland” and close to many of the capital’s best pubs, clubs, restaurants and shops.
Places To Visit In London
1. The Tower Of London And Tower Bridge
From prison to palace, treasure vault to private zoo, the magnificent Tower of London has fulfilled many different roles down the centuries. One of Britain's most iconic structures, this spectacular World Heritage Site offers hours of fascination for visitors curious about the country's rich history - after all, so much of it happened here. Inside the massive White Tower, built in 1078 by William the Conqueror, is the 17th-century Line of Kings with its remarkable displays of royal armaments and armor. Other highlights include the famous Crown Jewels exhibition, the Beefeaters, the Royal Mint, and gruesome exhibits about the executions that took place on the grounds. The adjacent Tower Bridge, its two huge towers rising 61 meters above the River Thames, is one of London's best-known landmarks.
2. National Gallery
Housing masterpieces by painters including van Gogh, Renoir, da Vinci and Michelangelo, the National Gallery holds one of the world’s most important art collections, and sees over six million visitors every year. Miss the hordes by visiting on weekday mornings or Friday evenings. Whatever time you go, the permanent collections are always free.
3. British Museum
One of London's top free attractions, and considered its top museum by many, the British Museum is both an architectural beauty and a trove of some of the world's most noted antiquities. From the Rosetta Stone to the Elgin Marbles to the Lindow Man, the British Museum is a history buff's treasure trove containing artifacts in the millions. The immense collection can make an initial museum visit seem overwhelming: Pick the exhibits that most interest you, and plan return trips if you feel so inclined.
4. The Scoop
Although many of London's museums and galleries are free, it's a little harder to find theatre or cinema that doesn't come with a ticket price. One hotspot for gratis performance is The Scoop. This sunken space seats 800 and can be found beside City Hall, close to Tower Bridge. During summer months, the amphitheatre is in use almost every evening, hosting live music, plays, film screenings and keep-fit classes. While you're in the area, take a look inside City Hall where a spiral ramp leads down to small gallery spaces, a cafe and a giant map of London. The security can look a bit fearsome, with airport-style scans – but don't worry, you have every right to go in.
5. Westminster
Westminster is considered the political hub of London and is home to the Houses of Parliament and the world-famous Big Ben. Big Ben is the name of the bell housed within the iconic clock tower, and it still chimes every hour.
You can also find Westminster Abbey here, which is open to the public most days. Whilst visiting these landmarks, be sure to rest your feet in Parliament Square which features statues of important political individuals including Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill.
6. Churchill's War Room
Among the most fascinating and evocative of London's historic sites is the perfectly preserved nerve-center from which Prime Minister Winston Churchill directed the British military campaigns and the defense of his homeland throughout World War II. Their Spartan simplicity and cramped conditions underline the desperate position of England as the Nazi grip tightened across Europe. You'll see the tiny cubicle where Churchill slept and the improvised radio studio where he broadcast his famous wartime speeches. Simple details, such as Clementine Churchill's knitting wool marking the front lines on a map of Europe, bring the era to life as no museum could possibly do.
7. East London Street Art
The ephemeral nature of street art makes it difficult to say with confidence where you might find specific displays at any one time. However, certain areas of East London – notably – are famous for having particularly impressive graffiti. The side streets around Brick Lane always yield some decent artwork, as do Middlesex and Sclater streets.
8. Barbican Centre
A strange tip, this one, but go and get yourself lost in the Barbican estate, a 1970s complex of baffling walkways, hidden gardens, slopes and steps. The estate is one of Britain's best expressions of the architectural style known as brutalism. Traffic is banned and the pedestrian is king. It's also a complete maze (hence the ironic sculpture of a minotaur). Eventually, though, you'll find the picturesque pond area in front of the Barbican Centre. This arts venue often puts on free entertainment. Its Curve Gallery is always free to visit and specialises in oddball but approachable exhibitions. A rooftop conservatory is another highlight.
9. London Eye
A trip to London isn’t complete without a visit to the iconic London Eye. Originally constructed to celebrate the millennium, the Eye is a giant ferris wheel offering gorgeous views across the city. At night, the wheel is lit up in seasonal colors and is the centerpiece of London’s annual New Year’s fireworks display.
You can share one of the spacious pods with other keen visitors, or splurge on a private pod for you and someone special. Team your visit to the Eye with a trip to the adjacent London Aquarium to see aquatic creatures from around the world, including jellyfish, seahorses and crocodiles.
10. Greenwich And Docklands
For centuries the hub of Britain's naval power, Greenwich is best known to tourists as home of Cutty Sark, the last of the 19th-century tea clippers that sailed between Britain and China. The ship is adjacent to the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centrewith its exhibits showcasing more than 500 years of maritime history, and the Palladian mansion known as Queen's House. The impressive collections of the National Maritime Museum, the largest of its kind in the world, illustrate the history of the Royal Navy.
The revitalized Docklands across the river has been transformed into an international place of business and recreation, filled with some of London's smartest new restaurants. The excellent Museum of London Docklands, in the old Georgian warehouses, brings to life the river, port, and its people from Roman times to the present through hands-on displays that are especially interesting for children.
Fascinating Facts About London
1. The Houses of Parliament are officially known as the Palace of Westminster and it is the largest palace in the country.
2. The Palace of Westminster has eight bars (where prices are kept cheap, thanks to the taxpayer), six restaurants, 1,000 rooms, 100 staircases, 11 courtyards, a hair salon, and rifle-shooting range.
3. It is illegal to die in the Palace of Westminster
5. In order to drive in downtown London between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. one must pay “congestion charge” of 10 pound. It is possible to avoid this charge by paying a lower fee to register your car as a private taxi and then just never pick up any passengers.
6. There is a “rain room” in London that makes rain fall everywhere in the room except the spot that you are standing
7. London is full of pubs associated with artists, writers, and poets. The Fitzroy Tavern on Charlotte Street was famous for hosting Dylan Thomas, George Orwell, and satanist Aleister Crowley, who invented a cocktail once served there.
8. Only one house where Charles Dickens lives still stands, at 48 Doughty Street, which is now a museum. He lived there from 1837 and 1839, and it's where he wrote Oliver Twist and The Pickwick Papers.
9. Wernher Von Braun, the man credited with designing the V2 rocket for the Germans, always wanted to go to space, and when the first V2 hit London, he said “The rocket worked perfectly except for landing on the wrong planet.”
10. The 2012 Olympics had the biggest military buildup in London Since World War II.
It's little wonder London is one of the world's top tourist destinations, attracting upward of 15 million visitors each and every year. Britain's capital city is a vibrant arts and entertainment center (its theaters are always busy), and 50 years after the Beatles, the country's music scene still rocks.
London also boasts one of the planet's greatest concentrations of cultural attractions. From royal palaces to the people's parliament, from Roman ruins to castles and cathedrals, you could spend endless days exploring London's sites without ever running out of unique things to see and do.
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