London. The city which is steeped in pomp and pageantry; the city where history and tradition are not merely prized, but rather integrated into daily life; the city of modernity in art, fashion, music, education, commerce, and entertainment; the city that claims itself to be the capital of the 21st-century Europe. London, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “is the epitome of our times, and the Rome of today.”
London has served as the capital of England, and the United Kingdom since the 10th century. It is the largest metropolitan city in England and is generally considered the largest metropolitan city in all of the European Union. It was originally founded nearly 2,000 years ago by the Romans, as Londinium.
London has always been a popular destination within Europe. Given its’ age as a city, and the vast array of historical, political, and social events and movements that have taken place within the community, there is a dramatic number of museums, gardens, palaces, galleries, cathedrals, parks, concert halls, neighborhoods and shopping destinations to visit. Depending on the length of an individual stay, visitors to London will have ample opportunity to take in many of London’s most famous sites – including such historic places as:
- Westminster Abbey (dating back 1066)
- Windsor Castle (similarly dating back to the 10th century)
- Tower of London (dating back to the 11th century)
- St. Paul’s Cathedral (dating back to the 17th century)
- Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens (dating back to the 1730s)
- Buckingham Palace (dating back to 1705, expanded to its’ current size in the 1830s)
- and so many more.
When was the last time you visited this enchanting city? If you haven't yet visited, is London on your bucket list? When would you like to visit?
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