London is a cosmopolitan mixture of the Third and First worlds, of chauffeurs and beggars, of the establishment, the avowedly working class and the avant-garde. Unlike comparable European cities, much of London looks unplanned and grubby, but that is part of its appeal. Visiting London is like being let loose on a giant-sized Monopoly board clogged with traffic. Even though you probably won‘t know where the hell you are, at least the names will look reassuringly familiar. The city is so enormous, visitors will need to make maximum use of the underground train system: unfortunately, this dislocates the city‘s geography and makes it hard to get your bearings.
When to Go
London is a year-round tourist center, with few of its attractions closing or significantly reducing their opening hours in winter. Your best chance of good weather is, of course, at the height of summer in July and August, but there‘s certainly no guarantee of sun even in those months and that is when you can expect the biggest crowds and highest prices.
Great churches:
Westminster Abbey
A resting place of the royals, Westminster Abbey, is one of the most visited churches in the Christian world. It‘s a beautiful building, full of morose tombs and monuments, with an acoustic field that will send shivers down your spine when the choirboys clear their throats. The roll call of the dead and honored is guaranteed to humble the greatest egoist, despite the weighty and ornate memorabilia.
St Paul‘s Cathedral
Half the world saw the inside of St Paul‘s Cathedral when Charles tied the knot here in 1981. The venerable building was constructed by Christopher Wren between 1675 and 1710, but stands on the site of two previous cathedrals dating back to 604. Its famous dome, the biggest in the world after St Peter‘s in Rome, no longer dominates London as it did for centuries - a fact which irritates the bonnie prince‘s sense of architectural harmony. Visitors should talk low and sweetly near the whispering gallery, which reputedly carries words spoken close to its walls to the other side of the dome.
Westminster Cathedral is the headquarters of Britain‘s Catholic Church, and the only prime example of neo-Byzantine architecture in the city. The interior is part splendid marble and part bare brick - the money ran out. The 14 Stations of the Cross sculptures by Eric Gill and the marvelously somber atmosphere make this a great escape from coach tourists and traffic alike.
Kings & Queens
The Queen opened Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time in 1993 to raise money for repairs to Windsor Castle. The palace rates poorly compared to Britain‘s other stately homes. The interiors range from kitsch to tasteless opulence and reveal nothing of the domestic life of the Royal Family apart from a gammy eye when it comes to interior décor.
The Tower of London, once a castle and palace, is now a beautifully preserved monument to cruelty. According to Shakespeare, their wicked uncle, Richard III, slaughtered the young princes and heirs of Edward IV here. The cells have played host to an illustrious crew which includes Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Walter Raleigh, Rudolf Hess and Wham! Bloodcurdling attractions include torture implements displayed in Martin Tower. Don‘t overdose on suits of armor, coats of arms or Beefeaters and you‘ll have a fun time. Check out the ravens on the green: legend says that the day they desert the Tower, London shall fall to its enemies.