With over 19 million people visiting London every year, there is without a doubt something special about the British capital – but just what is it? Here we are going to take a look at some of the sights and sounds of London and why you should add it to your list of cities to visit around the world.
Hot Spots
We are going to start by taking a look at some of the place people love to visit and see if we can throw in the odd hidden location too. London has a wealth of attractions for tourists and locals that it is near enough impossible to ever get bored. We are going to start by recommending the South Bank near Waterloo station. This part of town is home to the London Eye, an incredible Ferris wheel that gives you unrivalled views of the capital, but there is so much more.
To the left of the Eye there is the London Aquarium and to the right, you will find the hustle and bustle of markets, the Oxo Tower, and street performers. And if it is the latter British talent that you want to soak in then make your way to Covent Garden where there are performances all around the marketplace.
The South Bank is also a good place to start because it provides easy access to some of the main features of the London skyline. From here you can see and easily walk to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben – both just across the river – and a slightly longer stroll to Buckingham Palace. These are some of the hot spots of London and they are all reachable from this part of the city with ease. That is the great thing about London, while you can use the tube network, you rarely need to.
Theatre
You can’t visit London without taking a trip to the West End. The theatre scene of the UK’s capital has been the talk of the town for centuries and is home to musicals such as the Lion King, Wicked, and the Book of Mormon. Catching one of the many London theatre shows should be at the top of any tourist’s to-do list, even if you’re not a huge fan of live performances.
The history that the buildings contain is remarkable and to take in a play or a musical at one of them is really a joy to behold. Whether you catch a modern show or take a trip back to the most famous writer to be produced by this shores at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Sports
Finally, there is always some sort of sporting event taking place in London. Brits love their sports and you can’t move in the capital without seeing Premier League merchandise. The O2 is home to the end of season tennis ATP finals tournament featuring the top eight players in the world annually in November until at least 2020. Fans of football will have a gluttony of stadiums to choose from with Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge and Fulham’s Craven Cottage in southwest London and Arsenal’s Emirates in the north.
There are three national stadiums within easy access of the centre of London as well, first of all, the Olympic Park – currently occupied by West Ham United – which was the home of the 2012 Olympics. Further out of the capital there is Twickenham which is the residence of England Rugby and finally the nation’s home of sport, Wembley in north London. Cricket fans will want to pay a visit to Vauxhall – one stop on from Waterloo – for the Oval and St John’s Wood in central for the home of cricket, Lords.
There really is something for everyone in the UK’s capital, especially if you like sport.
