I have always loved visiting the world’s important cities and especially capitals. Among the countries of the world, I always try to visit cities that stand out with culture, art, romance and architecture. Having such a goal, of course I had to include an important city like London in the list. London can be called the capital of culture and art on a world scale.

London, the capital of the Kingdom of Great Britain, is one of the greyest cities in the world woven with art and culture. This city, where every point and every street is worth seeing, has a completely different history and a completely different pace of life.

London is a must-see, especially considering how devoted England is in terms of history and architecture. So much so that you may still have the chance to see many important works of the Ottoman Empire in London.

What kind of city is London?

When you think of London, the first thing that may come to your mind is of course a rainy city with very little sun. Yes, London really has cool weather in all seasons, where you can encounter constant rain.

But for me, this city where millions of people live is one of the most fascinating cities in the world. For example, cinema works such as Harry Potter and Hogwarts, which are one of the most important concepts that come to mind when magic and spells are mentioned in the world, also live in this important capital.

From the first moment I stepped into London, although I encountered the basic characteristics of the climate, every corner of it began to impress me. Of course, I didn’t forget to have my umbrella with me because I knew I would encounter rain.

However, from the moment you start walking around any street of the city, no matter how fast it rains, you may not pay any attention to it when you get caught up in the city. Especially when I was wandering around the streets of London, I was very impressed by the structure of the houses, which were completely similar to each other, and the history-preserving feature of the restorations.

I will try to briefly explain to you the main places that should be on my list for a wonderful culture and art trip in London. No matter what season or date you go to London, if you want to encounter impressive visuals in culture and architecture, you should definitely try to see these points that I have included in the list.

Palace of Westminster

This magnificent palace, which is now used for the British Parliament, which consists of the House of Commons together with the House of Lords, constitutes a visual perfection, especially in tourism. Moreover, as it is known, the Big Ben Clock Tower, one of the most important symbols of London, was built as a unit right next to the palace. While this magnificent clock tower creates the second largest four-faced clock in the world, the palace offers an architecture that will blow your mind at every point.

Right next to the Palace of Westminster is the famous Ferris wheel called the London Eye. This Ferris wheel, which increases the touristic value of the city, is one of the important details that you must experience, especially if you want to see London from a high point. London Eye, which is the largest in Europe with a height of 135 meters and reaches 3 million visitors annually, continues to operate throughout the day with its 32 passenger capsules.

Buckingham Palace

Another important palace in London is Buckingham Palace, which has a magnificent garden and its magnificence is truly impressive. You can encounter hundreds of different animal species in this palace, which is surrounded by lush vegetation to ensure that the air is as clean as possible.

Moreover, to reach the palace, you pass through the lush Green Park. This palace, where royal soldiers in their famous costumes wait at its large gilded gates, today hosts the Royal Family.

If the King is in his house, you can understand this from the flag hanging over the palace and waving. In this respect, the palace can be visited not every day but during periods deemed appropriate for the royal family.

In this sense, you can visit between July and October. During this period, the royal family moves to the summer palace. To see the Palace, it would be best to make a reservation and buy a ticket in advance.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge, the famous bridge of London, is the first stop to see the palace and should be seen after the palace. The bridge is also called the “Blue Bridge” because it is located on the River Thames. Although the bridge is two-storey, the light feast on the bridge creates a magnificent visual, especially in the evenings.

While it is possible to watch the view of London by walking on the upper floor of the bridge, the most important feature of the bridge is, of course, its open able and closing wings, which create a special pleasure.

When you go to this area to see the Tower Bridge, you will of course also see the Thames River flowing in front of you. This famous river, which flows into the North Sea, continues to flow for 80 kilometres while passing through London.

In this case, the city of London is divided into North London and South London on both sides of the river, as it continues to pass through over 70 districts. The original of London, that is, the original city, is known as North London (Greater London). In fact, you can also see different bridges over the river, such as the London Bridge, Hungerford Bridge or Waterloo Bridge.

London’s Magnificent Museums

London is one of the cities where culture and art are kept alive and protected. In fact, it is known to everyone that at some point they took care of the historical artefacts they brought from all over the world and sometimes had to return these artefacts.

But whatever the case, you can encounter history, culture and science, as well as magnificent works, in the museums in London. For example, the London Natural History Museum is a museum where the rarest animals in the world, that is, unique creatures such as dinosaurs, are exhibited. For a wonderful trip, you can take a tour of Madame Tussauds London Wax Museum.

When you visit the London Science Museum, it is possible to see a 300-year history of science in mathematics and natural sciences. Of course, when you visit the British Museum, one of the largest museums, you can see many artefacts collected from around the world and dating back to prehistory.

On the other hand, the Greenwich Royal Museum, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, actually includes buildings such as the Queen’s House, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. Again, the London Design Museum exhibits modern designs in many different fields that you can think of.

Thanks to the London Transport Museum, you can see the vehicles used in London’s history for 200 years. At the Banks of England Museum in a different area, you will be able to see the history of all British banks until the establishment of the Bank of England.

The museum even has a real gold bar or various coin exhibits. While you can see the traces of London history when you visit the London Museum in the city centre, the Victoria and Albert Museum is a completely different art museum. Because this museum provides a history dating back 3000 years with works of art collected from all over the world.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, a second residence for the British royal family, has actually been a residence for a long history. This almost 1000-year-old castle, which you can visit throughout the year, is a building that fascinates with its magnificence even when seen from afar.

In fact, among the different castles you can see in London, there are structures such as Hever Castle, which you can reach by train with its double moat structure, or Clearwell Castle, which is used for events such as weddings in the Forest of Dean.

Everything That Might Interest You in London

Although there are many places you can visit for history and culture when it comes to London, there are actually many fascinating things in London that may interest you. For example, in London you can come across an amazing world school like Imperial College London.

You can see people from all over the world, that is, from every nation, living in London. In London, you can try special tastes such as English breakfast in the morning, afternoon tea and savory tarts. The symbolic details that people know best in London are the red telephone booths and double-decker buses in the city.

There are also black taxis and spots like Oxford Street. Although you can see these details at many points in the city, you can also take a stroll in Hyde Park. You can shop in the Camden area, experience the nightlife in Soho or wander around Baker Street, which is Sherlock Holmes Street.

Things That Will Be Useful to You in London

Finally, London has very wide transportation facilities. Because there are 6 different airports in the city, transportation is provided by railway from all sides. The British pound is used as the official currency in the country that has left the European Union. There is a time difference of 2 hours with Turkey.

In London, you can use a transportation solution called Oyster Card to take the tram, bus or suburban lines you want within the city. There are also opportunities such as Travelcard, which you can choose daily or weekly. Finally, you can benefit from the London Pass, which you can use to visit 60 different places in London, from palaces to bridges.

See you in the next post,

Anil UZUN