Thursday 30 September 2021

The Most Important Sights in London

Photo by Nicole Baster on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}


London is a living blend of grandeur, history, style, and culture that becomes more and more enticing each year. Charming with royal parks, world-class free art galleries, and wooden-fronted pubs with delicious real beer. The ancient streets of London and the majestic architecture take you to the days of the past. Then, the illuminated signs of the West End theatres, designer shops, and the emerging innovative food space that is considered one of the world's premier choices bring you right up to date. Some of the best family hotels in London are a sight to behold too.

London is a place of diversity, with people from all over the world making up the population. Filled with British emblems, the ubiquitous presence of black cabs and with the towering limestone peaks of Parliament, London combines a colourful history and tradition with extreme creativity and true multiculturalism. Whether exploring one of the famous markets or relaxing in a lush park, you will see people from all over the world.

Culturally, London is unique, with its galleries and museums, some of which are the best in the world. Many of London's cultural attractions are free to enter and there is a great variety of attractions. From the Victoria and Albert Museum to the Natural History Museum to the Tate Modern to the London Transport Museum. There is something for everyone.

Everyone will have a different idea of what the premier sights are to visit when you're in London and many will go straight for the Royal sites like Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, but read on for three great places to visit that are rich in history and a joy to explore. 

 

British Museum

The British Museum is the oldest national public museum in Europe and was founded in 1753 and, contrary to its name, has few exhibits from Britain. It is located in the Bloomsbury area, and the most convenient underground station is Russell Square on the Piccadilly line.

You do not have to pay a fee to enter, as the British consider that access to large public museums is everyone's right and not a privilege; of course, there are baskets to make an optional donation while to the left of the entrance there is a cloakroom to leave your coat for a fee.

The African collection is located downstairs, the Asian collection on the ground floor and upper floors, the American collection on the northeast floor, while the impressive Egyptian exhibits and sarcophagi are located in the large courtyard and upper floors. There really is a wealth of variety in the exhibits.

However, the jewel of the Museum is none other than the Greek collection and the Marbles of the Parthenon to the west of the building, with the view of the unique Caryatid stealing the impressions. If nothing else, the Greek and Egyptian collections, along with that of the Middle East, stand out, and if you limit yourself to them, you will need at least three hours to explore them. But if you want to explore further you could spend a glorious day there. 

 

St. Paul's Cathedral

St Pauls Cathedral is located within The City of London, which is, on one hand, the oldest area of London but nowadays due to all the construction and growth is a very modern part of London with prominent skyscrapers such as The Gherkin, 22 Bishopgate and The heron Towers. It's a long time since St Pauls Cathedral stood as the highest point in the City of London.

After the catastrophic fire of 1666 that started from a bakers oven on Pudding Lane and burned down almost the entire city at the time, Sir Christopher Wren built the majestic St. Paul's Cathedral, with its dome being the second largest in the world after that of St Peters Basilica in Rome.

In addition to the historicity and grandeur of the cathedral, you should know that it hosted the funerals of prominent figures in English history such as Admiral Nelson, Duke Wellington, Princess Diana and Winston Churchill.

 

Photo by paul silvan on Unsplash

British Parliament

The famous Gothic buildings that include the House of Lords and the House of Commons have been the centre of the country's political life since the 16th century. The famous Big Ben steals the show, and in this tower is placed a huge bell that rings every hour and four smaller ones that ring every quarter-hour. This particular attraction on the banks of the Thames attracts many photos from visitors, but unfortunately, you can not visit it inside if you are not a British citizen.

Of course, in a vast city like London, the options and places you can visit will not fit in a single article, so this is just a taster of a few great places to see on your time in London. Your overall experience will be influenced by the experiences you will collect and the places you will visit. In order to be able to move comfortably from sight to sight, the ideal solution is to focus on choosing a rental car, which will solve all your transportation problems. By trusting the Enjoy Travel company, which has service agencies throughout the country, you can get the vehicle of your choice without any additional costs and further process. 

London is waiting for you, are you ready to answer its call?


Why not check out my tips for planning a short break in London

 

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