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Soho is home to Europe’s largest Chinatown, which developed in the 1970s. Earlier generations of London’s Chinese population had centred around the docks of Limehouse.
Westminster Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor and completed just before his death in 1065. Since William the Conqueror all the kings & queens of England have been crowned here.
From 1235 until 1835, the monarch’s personal zoo was kept at the Tower, and it included many exotic animals given as presents by other monarchs, including polar bears, leopards and elephants.
The bridge had to close within days of its opening in 2000 because of a slight wobble, which caused people to walk in step with each other, causing the wobble to become much worse!
Built in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, George III acquired it in 1762 as a private house. It became an official royal residence in the reign of Queen Victoria, when it was greatly enlarged.
The first national lottery was held in 1569, and the result was announced at the west door of (the old) St.Paul’s cathedral. It is unknown if the winner let it change him.
‘Soho’ is thought to come from the hunting and battle cry of the Duke of Monmouth, a local landlord. He used it at the Battle of Sedgemoor where he was defeated in 1685, and later executed.
No.10 was given to Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first ‘prime minister’, by George II in thanks for his service. Walpole’s official title, First Lord of the Treasury, still remains on the letterbox.
Opened in 1881, the museum facade uses terracotta tiles which were resistant to the soot of Victorian London. The largest of the famous dinosaur skeletons in the central hall is a diplodocus.
The lion sculpture was once painted red and stood over the Red Lion Brewery on the South Bank in the 18th century. When the area was redeveloped in the 1950s the lion was saved and moved here.
The Mall took on its current form as a royal processional route around 1912. The palace approach was widened, and Admiralty Arch was built at one end and the Victoria Memorial at the other
To mark the 50th birthday of the Royal Air Force in 1968, Flight Lt. Allan Pollock flew his Hawker jet under the walkway of Tower Bridge. This unauthorised stunt won him a court martial.
Really nice shops. It isn't for everyone, but still nice to look around and dream a little!
London Bridge was once crowded with buildings and prone to fires. It survived the 1666 Great Fire because an earlier fire had destroyed houses at the north end, creating a fire break!
Much of the collection was inherited from the Museum of Patents (est 1858) and includes early locomotives such as Stephenson’s Rocket and Puffing Billy, and the first jet engine.
This place is named after a cross put here by Edward I in 1290. He erected 12 crosses in all, each marking where his queen’s body rested overnight, en route from Lincoln to burial at Westminster.
Originally a deer park for Henry VIII, so he could hunt while staying at Whitehall Palace, the park was laid out in a formal style by Charles II, when Pepys came here to watch ice skating.
This area was named after Leicester House, the London mansion home of the Earl of Leicester built in 1635. But by 1800 it was a home of popular entertainment and theatres, and has never looked back.
Yeah, it looks all shiny now, but go back 230 years and you'd be watching graverobbed corpses being dissected by the Hunter brothers. How quickly people forget.
Oxford Street’s biggest department store was opened by the American businessman Gordon J Selfridge in 1909, whose motto was ‘The customer is always right’.
Standing at 310m high, the Shard will own the title of the EU's tallest building when completed in 2012. In 1098 the White Tower was named Britain's tallest building standing at a mere 27m tall.
In the 18th century the park was notorious for highwaymen and Horace Walpole was one of many robbed here. Handel’s ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’ was composed for an event here in 1749.
Until 1993 the location of Telecom Tower was an official secret, having or taking any photos of the tower was a breach of the Official Secrets Act, it was even omitted from all maps.
The Bankside Power Station was built as a ‘cathedral of power’ in 1963, but closed in 1981. It reopened as one of Europe’s finest modern art galleries in 2000. The Turbine Hall is 35m high.
Behind the Pump House is a statue of a brown dog. In 1985 it replaced the original, removed in 1910 when it became a focus of riots between medical students and animal rights campaigners.
Forget the view from the top. Head a little down the southern slope where you get still-good views but far fewer people.
The first bridge on this site, opened in 1819, was regarded as an architectural marvel and had the longest cast iron span (73 metres) in the world. The current bridge dates from 1921.
Small museum with interesting exhibits and fantastic shop. Definitely worth the entrance fee.
These award-winning footbridges opened in 2002. The engineers had to contend with the Bakerloo Line just under the river, and the risk of unexploded WW2 bombs in the riverbed!
The downstream (seaward) side of the bridge is decorated with stone sculptures of sea birds, whilst the upstream side is decorated with fresh water birds.
The British Museum has more than 7 million objects from every continent, some of which have been controversial. Read more.
One of London’s lost rivers joins the Thames here. The Tyburn, which gave its name to the famous gallows, begins in Hampstead and now runs entirely underground.
An often overlooked attraction in Greenwich, but contains some remarkable paintings. Seek out the sinking of the Scharnhorst in the south-west corner of the top floor.
Another of London’s lost rivers, the Westbourne runs through the Long Water in Hyde Park, under Knightsbridge, over Sloane Sq station and into the river near Chelsea Bridge.
King's Cross Station is used again in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) as platform 9¾, really platform 4, from where the Hogwart's express departs, this time without Harry and Ron.
London’s most exciting market has it all: antiques, food, streetwear and even typically British bits and pieces.
In 1894 a French anarchist named Martial Bourdin was carrying a bomb through the park to the Observatory when it exploded and killed him. No one knows why he had decided to target the Observatory.
Considered as London's shopping Mecca, this place is home to department stores like John Lewis and Selfridges and flagship stores like Debenhams and Zara. There are 300 more stores to choose from.
Pickpockets operate in this area, so always keep your valuables hidden and your bag zipped up. Watch the ‘tricks of pickpockets’ and the tell-tale signs at http://goo.gl/UfI24 Read more.
"An oasis of calm and good cheer amid the noise and chaos of Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square. Real ales, often from local breweries such as Meantime and Ascot Ales, are the draw..." Read more.
Siège du Parlement Britannique, le Palais de Westminster est un bijou architectural, de style néogothique. Écoutez le son de Big Ben à 17h, avec un bon thé! So british. ;)
Finally! A British train station that actually has free WiFi and which you don't have to pay for using the toilets!
Sprawling brass beast of a bar, with more types of beer than you could shake an inebriated fist at. Any first-time visitor must try the oyster stout (no bivalves were harmed in the making).
This mother church of English Roman Catholics was completed in Early Christian Byzantine style in 1903. Since that day Masses have been sung here everyday without interruption.
On 14 June 1971, two wild & crazy Americans opened up a burger joint in the heart of London. Thankfully for us, their venture proved successful, now counting Cafe, Hotel & Casino locations worldwide.
One of the most famous stadiums in the world, this venue will host some of the world’s best in the London 2012 Olympic Football Tourney.
This place will have the gymnastics competition and the basketball gold medal game. In other words, it’s not a bad place to spend some quality time while at the Olympics.
Enter our prize draw to win a family ticket to Sea Life. And if you don’t win, not to worry! Simply grab yourself a free 2 for 1 voucher and get 2 for 1 entry to any Sea Life location across the UK. Read more.
Fun, delicious, glamorous and one of the most fashionable haunts in town. An excellent dining experience from the master chef himself. -Catherine Ommanney, Real Housewives of DC
Olympic Stadium, the centerpiece of Olympic Park, is the site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Read more.
Located out in Shepherd's Bush, it's not the most central place to shop in London, but has everything you need for a whole day of shopping, eating and entertainment.
Jump off the Overground line at Rotherhithe for a pint and some food at one of London’s best pubs. It takes its name from the ship that took the Pilgrim Fathers to New England in 1620. Read more.
This is where The Beatles left on the bus at the start of The Magical Mystery Tour film.
Don't be put off if it looks busy. This one goes back a long way. And despite the appearances, it's not a Sam Smith's pub.
Stamford Bridge is home of Chelsea London and is located in Fulham, West London. The stdium is the 8th largest stdium in the Premier League, FC Cheslea is usually ranked higher.
Arsenal Football Club was formed by workers from the Woolwich Arsenal in the 1886, hence their nickname ‘the Gunners’. The club moved north of the river to Highbury in 1913.
