Monday 20 January 2014

Why you should visit London

By Peter Frank


London is a city unlike any other in the world, everyone should visit it, and in case you need convincing, here are ten compelling reasons why!

It's an incredible looking city with an instantly recognisable skyline. There are various places where you can enjoy a bird's eye view, the London Eye, the Monument and the View from The Shard being three more obvious ones, but there are also several restaurants that serve a fine panorama as a side dish.

Although the distinctive skyline of London encompasses many much-loved buildings, we should not forget that it's also one of the greenest cities in the world with eight beautiful royal parks, two botanical gardens, and numerous heaths and commons.

A river cruise along the Thames is one of the best ways to see London, but we shouldn't forget that there are also more than 100 miles of canals in this city. If you fancy something a little bit different, why not take a trip along Regent's Canal in a narrowboat?

London can now lay claim to the largest urban shopping centre in Europe: Westfield Stratford. For the more traditional shopper though, there is still the allure of Harrods, Liberty, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.



Rainy days provide the perfect excuse to visit indoor attractions. If the Royal Family are your guilty pleasure then a visit to the Royal Mews or the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace would be perfect - although you are more likely to come face to face with a family member at Madame Tussauds!

London offers the visitor more museums than any other city in the world, and most of them are free. The Natural History Museum in South Kensington is an absolute must. Many of London's art galleries are also free to enter, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery being conveniently close to one another on the north side of Trafalgar Square.

Many people consider that the theatre of the West End is the jewel in London's crown. There are around 40 historic venues in the area around Drury Lane staging the best in musicals, drama and comedy. For theatre in more intimate surroundings, London also offers a thriving fringe movement.

After a busy day's sightseeing, you don't want to travel too far to your bed. Luckily, there's a huge choice of accommodation in London: from inexpensive hostels where you can share a dorm for as little as lb10 per night to luxury hotels where you may find yourself rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous!

It's not uncommon to hear people say that they have 'done' a particular city. However, it's impossible to 'do' London as it's constantly changing. It's not just the pop-up restaurants, markets, cinemas and shops that make it so exhilarating, it's also the constantly changing exhibitions in the many museums and galleries.




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