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With a population of just under eight million, London
is Europe's largest city, spreading across an area of more
than 620 square miles from its core on the River Thames.
Ethnically it's also Europe's most diverse metropolis: around
two hundred languages are spoken within its confines, and
more than thirty percent of the population is made up of
first, second- and third-generation immigrants. Despite
Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolution, London still
dominates the national horizon, too: this is where the country's
news and money are made, it's where the central government
resides and, as far as its inhabitants are concerned, provincial
life begins beyond the circuit of the city's orbital motorway.
Londoners' sense of superiority causes enormous resentment
in the regions, yet it's undeniable that the capital has
a unique aura of excitement and success - in most walks
of British life, if you want to get on you've got to do
it in London.
For the visitor, too, London is a thrilling place - and
since the beginning of the new millennium, the city has
also been overtaken by an exceptionally buoyant mood. Thanks
to the lottery and millennium-oriented funding frenzy of
the last few years, virtually every one of London's world-class
museums, galleries and institutions has been reinvented,
from the Royal Opera House to the British Museum. With the
completion of the Tate Modern and the London Eye, the city
can now boast the world's largest modern art gallery and
Ferris wheel; there's also a new tube extension and the
first new bridge to cross the Thames for over a hundred
years. And after sixteen years of being the only major city
in the world not to have its own governing body, London
finally has its own elected mayor and assembly.
In the meantime, London's traditional sights - Big Ben,
Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral
and the Tower of London - continue to draw in millions of
tourists every year. Monuments from the capital's more glorious
past are everywhere to be seen, from medieval banqueting
halls and the great churches of Sir Christopher Wren to
the eclectic Victorian architecture of the triumphalist
British Empire. There is also much enjoyment to be had from
the city's quiet Georgian squares, the narrow alleyways
of the City of London, the riverside walks, and the quirks
of what is still identifiably a collection of villages.
And even London's traffic pollution - one of its worst problems
- is offset by surprisingly large expanses of greenery:
Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park are all within
a few minutes' walk of the West End, while, further afield,
you can enjoy the more expansive parklands of Hampstead
Heath and Richmond Park.
You could spend days just shopping in London, too, hobnobbing
with the upper classes in Harrods, or sampling the offbeat
weekend markets of Portobello Road and Camden. The music,
clubbing and gay/lesbian scenes are second to none, and
mainstream arts are no less exciting, with regular opportunities
to catch brilliant theatre companies, dance troupes, exhibitions
and opera. Restaurants, these days, are an attraction, too.
London has caught up with its European rivals, and offers
a range from three-star Michelin establishments to low-cost,
high-quality Indian curry houses. Meanwhile, the city's
pubs have heaps of atmosphere, especially away from the
centre - and an exploration of the farther-flung communities
is essential to get the complete picture of this dynamic
metropolis
Introducing the City
Stretching for more than thirty miles at its broadest point,
London is by far the largest city in Europe. The majority
of its sights are situated to the north of the River Thames,
which loops through the city from west to east. However,
there...
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