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London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union.
London is an important hub for tourists, and the city is home to an array tourist attractions. Although the majority are located in Central London, others can also be found outside the city centre. The City of London is home to St Paul's Cathedral, with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge just outside its official boundary. The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace bring visitors to the City of Westminster to the west, which also counts many of London's top museums and galleries amongst its attractions, including the British Museum, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Tate Britain, London Zoo and Madame Tussaud's. Royal attractions are always popular — as well as the various palaces, Horse Guards Parade is a ceremonial photo opportunity, whilst nearby Downing Street is home to the Prime Minister.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea further to the west includes the museum district of South Kensington (home to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum) and Kensington Palace. Many hotels are also located in this area.
Recent years have seen the regeneration of the South Bank and Bankside areas across the river from the City and Westminster, featuring the Globe Theatre, the London Eye, the London Aquarium and the Tate Modern.
Outside the centre, Camden Town, home to the well-known market, is an attractor just to the north, whilst Greenwich in South London is a popular tourist destination with the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum. Kew Gardens and Richmond are attractions on the other side of the city in West London, whilst Hampton Court Palace is at the south-western edge of the city.
Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district.
A short distance to the east, Covent Garden is a popular tourist destination with its covered market and speciality shops, as well as the Avenue of Stars — London's answer to Hollywood's Walk of Fame, honouring those who have made notable achievements in the entertainments industry. On the northern edge of the West End is the main shopping district, which includes the busy Oxford Street and its upmarket neighbours, Bond Street and Regent Street. Knightsbridge, not far to the southwest, is home to the famously posh Harrods department store and many boutiques.
London also boasts many markets, including the gastronomically popular Borough Market, the famous Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, the popular Camden Markets, and Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane in Shoreditch.
London offers a huge variety of cuisines as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Well-known gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food of Chinatown. The rest of Soho offers a variety of relatively cheap international restaurants, whilst more upmarket restaurants are scattered around central London, with concentrations in Mayfair. Across the city, areas home to particular ethnic groups are often recognisable by restaurants, food shops and market stalls offering their local fare, and even the large supermarkets stock such items in areas with sizeable ethnic groups.
London is better known for its international food offering rather than for its own unique dishes. However, although now rare, jellied eels with pie and mash are an historic East End delicacy.
The Lord Mayor's Show is one of London's oldest parades, and celebrates the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City each November. Rather less formally, the colourful Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's biggest street carnival, taking place in Notting Hill in West London, where many Caribbean immigrants settled in the 1950s. A newer tradition is the New Year's Day Parade which raises money for charity. At the other end of the spectrum, Trooping the Colour is a very formal military pageant to celebrate the (official) Queen's Birthday.
London is an important hub for tourists, and the city is home to an array tourist attractions. Although the majority are located in Central London, others can also be found outside the city centre. The City of London is home to St Paul's Cathedral, with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge just outside its official boundary. The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace bring visitors to the City of Westminster to the west, which also counts many of London's top museums and galleries amongst its attractions, including the British Museum, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Tate Britain, London Zoo and Madame Tussaud's. Royal attractions are always popular — as well as the various palaces, Horse Guards Parade is a ceremonial photo opportunity, whilst nearby Downing Street is home to the Prime Minister.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea further to the west includes the museum district of South Kensington (home to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum) and Kensington Palace. Many hotels are also located in this area.
Recent years have seen the regeneration of the South Bank and Bankside areas across the river from the City and Westminster, featuring the Globe Theatre, the London Eye, the London Aquarium and the Tate Modern.
Outside the centre, Camden Town, home to the well-known market, is an attractor just to the north, whilst Greenwich in South London is a popular tourist destination with the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum. Kew Gardens and Richmond are attractions on the other side of the city in West London, whilst Hampton Court Palace is at the south-western edge of the city.
Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district.
A short distance to the east, Covent Garden is a popular tourist destination with its covered market and speciality shops, as well as the Avenue of Stars — London's answer to Hollywood's Walk of Fame, honouring those who have made notable achievements in the entertainments industry. On the northern edge of the West End is the main shopping district, which includes the busy Oxford Street and its upmarket neighbours, Bond Street and Regent Street. Knightsbridge, not far to the southwest, is home to the famously posh Harrods department store and many boutiques.
London also boasts many markets, including the gastronomically popular Borough Market, the famous Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, the popular Camden Markets, and Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane in Shoreditch.
London offers a huge variety of cuisines as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Well-known gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food of Chinatown. The rest of Soho offers a variety of relatively cheap international restaurants, whilst more upmarket restaurants are scattered around central London, with concentrations in Mayfair. Across the city, areas home to particular ethnic groups are often recognisable by restaurants, food shops and market stalls offering their local fare, and even the large supermarkets stock such items in areas with sizeable ethnic groups.
London is better known for its international food offering rather than for its own unique dishes. However, although now rare, jellied eels with pie and mash are an historic East End delicacy.
The Lord Mayor's Show is one of London's oldest parades, and celebrates the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City each November. Rather less formally, the colourful Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's biggest street carnival, taking place in Notting Hill in West London, where many Caribbean immigrants settled in the 1950s. A newer tradition is the New Year's Day Parade which raises money for charity. At the other end of the spectrum, Trooping the Colour is a very formal military pageant to celebrate the (official) Queen's Birthday.