“It’s good to be king!” announced the Austrian ruler in Amadeus. Well, it wasn’t so bad to be a wealthy merchant either. Kew Palace, known as Dutch House until 1827, was built in 1631 for the Dutch merchant Samuel Fortrey. Mr. Fortrey’s descendants wisely leased the Jacobean mansion to Queen Caroline in 1728 for 99 […]

For three hundred years St Paul’s Cathedral has served as one of the enduring symbols of London, a role it richly deserves. Completed in 1708, Sir Christopher Wren’s masterwork is recognized the world over by its large dome and classical architecture. The fame of the dome is particularly ironic since the plans, third in succession […]

Throughout its troubled history, the National Gallery in London has persevered to maintain one of the greatest art collections in the world. Having no Royal collection with which to begin, the museum found its start with the purchase of a mere 38 paintings from the estate of a recently deceased banker, J.J. Angerstein. Housed in […]

Since its founding in the mid-19th century, the Natural History Museum has offered one of the largest, most diverse collections in the world. The dinosaur exhibits are world-renowned, but there are dozens of others equally deserving of a visit. The building itself makes the trip worthwhile. Completed in 1880, the Italian Renaissance design sports an […]

For the London traveler looking for variety, the West End is the place to be. Piccadilly Circus is next door, where antique book shops mix with the latest restaurants, and Covent Garden is not far. And, then, of course, there’s the world-renowned theater – the rival (some would say tutor) of Broadway. Soho is a […]

One of the best ways to see London is from the air. Unfortunately, that was fairly difficult until recently. Now it’s as easy as stepping onto a platform that moves slower than the average escalator into the London Eye pod. The London Eye can only approximately be described as an enormous Ferris Wheel. The designers […]

Like most museums in London, The British Museum is free of admission (though some events and special exhibitions have an admission charge). But were it the most expensive attraction in the city, it would be worth the price. Often rated the number one tourist attraction, it houses millions of artifacts from around the world and […]

London has such a long history, filled with great churches, monuments, art, and history museums that seeking nature here often isn’t what immediately comes to mind. But that’s an error since London is home to one of the oldest zoos in existence and one of the newest aquariums. The London Zoo was first established in […]

Perhaps most famous for the Speaker’s Corner, where citizens stand atop a soapbox and shout their views to the crowd, there’s much more to see and do here than listen to political opinions. The land forming the park was first acquired by Henry VIII from the monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536. While Henry used […]

Trafalgar Square is the center of England in more ways than one. At its south end lies what used to be Charing Cross, the point from which all distances to London are measured. Long since, the cross erected by Edward I in 1290 (as a tribute to his wife, Eleanor) has been replaced by a […]