What to See in London

When planning a trip to London as a tourist, there arethat whether your tastes run to movie stars, sports
such a multitude of interesting places to visit thatpersonalities or even historical figures, you are sure to
something can always be found to stir the imaginationfind something of interest. London even boasts the
of the most unenthusiastic visitor. There are theworld's one and only Fan Museum with an astonishing
obvious sites such as Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral,collection of over 4000 fans.
Buckingham Palace and the London Eye, all of whichAt the theatres in the West End there will always be a
are well worth a visit. London can also proudly boastshow that appeals. Agatha Christie's famous play, The
of its four World Heritage sites which are the TowerMousetrap, is still running at St Martin's Theatre since it
of London (unsurprisingly located next to Toweropened there in 1974. The play first opened on stage in
Bridge), Greenwich (from whence comes Greenwichthe West End in 1952 and has been running
Mean Time), the Royal Botanical Kew Gardens incontinuously ever since, which makes it the world's
Richmond and the Westminster site which includes thelongest running play. In addition to being a popular play, it
Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and Sthas now become a London tourist attraction in its own
Margaret's Church.right. Other prominent plays and musicals include The
The weather in London is not always pleasant forLion King, The Phantom of the Opera and Calendar
outdoor activities, but there are a variety of museums,Girls, and there is always a wide range of ballets and
art galleries, theatres and other warm and dry placesconcerts, both classical and modern, on offer at
to visit. One of the most famous museums is thevarious locations in London.
British Museum in Bloomsbury which was founded inLondon does not cater only for the energetic and
1753 and displays numerous important artefacts suchenthusiastic tourist. There are many relaxing activities
as the Rosetta stone and sculptures from theavailable, such as a quiet stroll through Hyde Park,
Parthenon. If your tastes incline more towards the arts,doing nothing more strenuous than carelessly tossing
there are many beautiful classic paintings to be foundbits of bread to the ducks as they paddle along the
in the National Gallery which looks out proudly overSerpentine. You can also wander along the historic
Nelson's Column and the lions of Trafalgar Square, orstreets, looking at shops or, alternatively, you can
you can view the contemporary and often contentiouswander through the shops, looking out at the historic
modern works in the Tate Modern, which is located onstreets. If your tastes run to shopping you can visit the
the banks of the Thames in Southwark. The famousupmarket stores in Oxford or Bond Street, or saunter
waxwork museum, Madame Tussaud's, not onlyamong the stalls and street performers in Covent
provides excellent shelter from the elements, but alsoGarden.
contains such a wide spectrum of waxwork subjects