Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
Page 18
St. Paul’s. There are signs outside the station that will lead you to the Cathedral. Guided tours are 1½hr., and they occur at 10:45am, 11:15am, 1:30pm, and 2pm. £3, children £1. A free multimedia tour will be provided starting mid-July to early Sept 2010. Audio tours available in 8 languages including English (adults £4). Adults £12.50, students £9.50, seniors £11, children £4.50; family (2 adults, 2 kids) £29.50; group rates (10+) adults £11.50, students £8.50, seniors £10.50, children £4. M-Sa 8:30am-4pm (last ticket sold). Least crowded early in the day. Get in for free (though you’ll have limited access) at one of the church services; 7:30am is Mattins, 8am is the Holy Communion, 12:30pm is the Holy Communion, 5pm is Evensong. Free Organ Recitals every Su from 4:45-5:15pm.
MUSEUM OF LONDON
By the London Wall (London EC27 5HN)
MUSEUM
020 7001 9844 www.museumoflondon.org.uk
The Museum of London is an exhaustive celebration of the city, tracing its history from the pre-Roman days, through the fall of that empire (too bad the city’s no longer known as Londinium), up to the present through a series of timelines, walk-in exhibits, and artifacts. Among the fascinating pieces of history on display are a walk-in replica of a London Saxon house from the mid-1000s, a beautiful model of the original St. Paul’s cathedral, a taxi from 1908, and Beatlemania paraphernalia. Relatively compact for its sheer scope, the Museum of London yields tremendous bang for your buck, especially because it’s free!
St. Pauls. Go up St. Martins and Aldersgate. 45min. tours at 11am, noon, 3pm, and 4pm. Free. Open M-F 10am-6pm.
POTTERS FIELDS PARK
Tooley St. towards Tower Bridge
PARK
020 7407 4702 pottersfields.co.uk
Providing wide patches of grass for denizens of the park to stretch out on, as well as breathtaking views of Tower Bridge and the Thames, Potters Fields Park is an oasis in such a busy city. It’s at the heart of London, but far removed from its bustle. City Hall sits within the park and is just as architecturally magnificent as Tower Bridge. After seeing the park, you may want to check out more of the waterfront and do some shopping in Hay’s Galleria. Also, be sure to notice the HMS Belfast, which is just down the river from the park; a ticket is required to board the vessel.
London Bridge. Walk down Tooley St. towards Tower Bridge. Go through Hay’s Galleria and walk along the river towards Tower Bridge. Free.
TOWER BRIDGE
Tower Bridge
BRIDGE
020 7403 3761 www.towerbridge.org.uk
If Fergie had gone to the Tower Bridge exhibition, she would have known that bascule bridges come down more often than London Bridge. Built between 1886 and 1894, Tower Bridge was created because London Bridge had become too crowded. It is a bascule bridge, meaning that, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see it rise (and then come down). The exhibition is enjoyable, though if you’re afraid of heights, it might not be for you. Hear fun facts about the bridge as well as enchanting anecdotes such as the story of a 1952 double-decker bus that accidentally jumped the bridge while it was rising—clearly the driver never heard the phrase “Mind the gap.”
Tower Hill. Follow signs to Tower Bridge. £7, ages 5-15 £3, under 5 free; concessions £5; 1 adult and 2 children £11; 2 adults and 1 child £14; 2 adults and 2 children £16; 2 adults and 3-4 children £18. April 1-Sept 30 open 10am-5:30pm daily; Oct 1-Mar 31 open 9:30am-5pm daily.
TOWER OF LONDON
Between Tower Hill and the Thames
HISTORICAL SITE
084 4482 7777 www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon
In its 1,000-year history, the Tower of London has been a fortress, a royal palace, a prison, a zoo, a mint, the house of the first royal observatory, and a tourist trap. If tourists were an invading army back in the day of William the Conqueror, he would have surrendered instantly. The Tower has tours led by “Beefeaters,” the men and women who guard and live within the tower.
Tower Hill. Buy tickets at the metro stop or at the Welcome Center, as these places tend to be less crowded. £17; student, senior, and disabled £14.50; under 5 free; family (1-2 adults and up to 6 kids) £47. Audio tours available in 9 different languages; £4, students £3. An individual Membership gives you unlimited, year round access to all the Royal Palaces for £41, with a family membership available for £80. Portions of the site wheelchair-accessible. Mar-Oct: M 10am-5:30pm, Tu-Su 9am-5:30pm, last ticket sold at 5pm. Nov-Feb: M-Tu and Su 10am-4:30pm, W-Sa 9am-5:30pm, last entry sold at 4pm. Cafe: Tu-Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su-M 10:30am-5pm. Ceremony of the Keys 9:30pm.
THE MONUMENT
Monument
HISTORICAL SITE
020 7626 2717 www.themonument.info
Built between 1671 and 1677, the Monument stands in memory of the Great Fire of London that burned most of the city in 1666. At 202ft. tall, with an inner shaft containing 311 stairs that must be climbed in order to reach the breathtaking open-air top floor, the Monument is what your Stairmaster would look like in the pre-mechanical age. If you were to lay the tower on its side pointing in a certain direction, it would land on the spot where the fire started. It would also cause mass hysteria. It is the only non-ecclesiastical Christopher Wren building, though some scholars maintain that it was built to worship rock hard thighs.
Monument. Get off the Tube and it will be directly in front of you as you exit the station. £3, children £1; concessions £2. Combined tickets are available with the Tower Bridge exhibition. Combined prices: £8, children £3.50; concessions £5.50. Open 7 days a week, 9:30am-5pm. Closed on Christmas and Boxing Day.
The South Bank
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
Lambeth Rd.
MUSEUM
020 7416 5000 www.iwm.org.uk
Housed in what used to be the infamous Bedlam insane asylum, the Imperial War Museum is mad for history. The exhibits start out right with two massive naval guns guarding the entrance to the imposing building. The first room is cluttered with enough devices of war to make any general salivate. Highlights include a Polaris A3 Missile, the first submarine-launched missile, a full-size German V2 Rocket, and the shell (not the inner mechanisms, luckily) of a “Little Boy,” the type of bomb detonated above Hiroshima. The bomb is non-functional, but it gets unnerving when kids whack the casing. The third floor houses the expansive Holocaust Exhibition. This haunting exhibit traces the catastrophic injustice of WWII Nazi atrocities with cartographic precision and deep feeling, with miles of film exploring everything from the rhetoric of the Nazi party to a history of anti-Semitism. Of course, many visitors may feel like a visit to a museum would be unbalanced with only such light subject matter, and they’ll take solace in the Crimes Against Humanity exhibition one floor down.
Elephant and Castle. Turn right onto Elephant and Castle (roundabout), right onto St. George’s Rd., and then left onto Lambeth Rd. Free. Special exhibits £5, students £4. Multimedia guides available in English £3.50. Open daily 10am-6pm. The Blitz Experience daily schedule is downstairs. It lasts around 10min.
TATE MODERN
53 Bankside
GALLERY
020 7887 8008 www.tate.org.uk
Located in George Gilbert Scott’s Brutalist old Bankside Power Station, Tate Modern defies traditional organizational methods, opting out of the chronological in favor of thematic organization. The permanent collection rotates through two floors. Those desperate to see one work in particular should check out the computers on the fifth floor, which enable users to scan through the entire collection.
Level 3 houses the Material Gestures gallery, which focuses mainly on post-war European and American art and showcases works by Monet, Francis Bacon and Anish Kapoor. Sculptures by Giacometti can also be found here. Poetry and Dream, an area centering on Surrealism and its associated themes, displays the work of Dali and Picasso among others.
On Level 5, Energy and Process looks at Arte Povera, the movement from the 1970s that used everyday materials and natural laws to create art. States of Fl
ux focuses on cubism and futurism among other important modern movements, displaying the works of Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Frank, Warhol, and Duchamp, among others.
Southwark. Left onto Blackfriars Rd. Right onto Southwark St., left onto Sumner, left onto Holland St. Free. Multimedia guide available in English, £3.50, concessions £3. Open M-Th 10am-6pm, F-Sa 10am-10pm, Su 10am-6pm. Free 10min. talks are given around the various galleries. Check schedule signs for details.
THE LONDON EYE
Minister Court
ATTRACTION
087 0990 8881 www.londoneye.com
Also known as the Millennium Wheel, the London Eye is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. The massive Ferris wheel takes visitors on a 30min. ride, giving them unparalleled arial views of London. An exciting 4D movie experience opens the entire trip which, while gimmicky, is worth it.
Westminster. Cross the bridge heading toward the Eye. £17.95, ages 4-15 £9.50, under 4 free, seniors and disabled £14.30. Savings of 10% if you book online. Hours vary. Call or check the website. In general, Oct-Mar 10am-8pm; Apr 10am-9pm; May-July M-Th 10am-9pm; F-Sa 10am-9:30pm; Su 10am-9pm; July-Aug 10am-9:30pm; Sept 10am-9pm.
The West End
THE NATIONAL GALLERY
Trafalgar Sq.
GALLERY
020 7747 2885 www.nationalgallery.org.uk
The National Gallery presides over Trafalgar Square and is nearly as impressive as the Square itself. Founded in 1824 and moved to its current location in 1838, the gallery encompasses all the major traditions of Western European art. The more recent Sainsbury Wing was opened in 1991, and it encompasses the 13th through 15th centuries. Often, visitors are in such a hurry to see the master works, that they traverse the main steps without looking at the floor. They are ignoring one of the most impressive artworks in the gallery, Boris Anrep’s mosaics. The first landing depicts the awakening of the muses, the top landing depicts the modern virtues such as compassion, humor, open-mindedness, pursuit, wonder, and curiosity, all of which will be evoked in a thorough viewing of the gallery. The West Vestibule ponders art, astronomy, commerce, music and sacred love among others, for a start, while the East celebrates the pleasures of life (Christmas pudding, conversation, cricket, mud pie, profane love, speed). Ask for the pamphlet on the mosaics at the front desk for more details!
Charing Cross. Free. Audio tours in English £3.50, students £2.50. Maps £1 and are well worth the purchase as the gallery is huge. Special exhibits cost around £10 on average. Open M-Th 10am-6pm, F 10am-9pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Trafalgar Square
HISTORICAL SITE
People flock to Trafalgar Square like pigeons in Hyde Park to bread, and if you’re homesick for your native tongue, you’ll likely hear it here (yes, American English counts). Designed by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square commemorates Admiral Horatio Viscount Nelson’s heroic naval victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. The Square serves as a gathering point and has hosted national celebrations and rallies of all sorts. The square is bordered by institutions from many different countries such as the New Zealand House, Uganda House, Canada House, and South Africa House.
Charing Cross.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
St. Martin’s Pl.
GALLERY
020 7306 0055 www.npg.org.uk
In London, it’s easy to get lost in history. You have to remember names of monarchs, gossip stars, the insanely wealthy, the star-crossed lovers—and we haven’t even talked about those outside of the royal family. The National Portrait Gallery is less about the art of the portraits themselves than it is about the people behind the portraits and what they meant for England. In fact, the gallery presents excellent short histories of the subjects and organizes them by room in such a way as to trace British history through its greatest asset—its people.
Charing Cross. Walk down Strand to Trafalgar Square and turn right along the square. Tickets for small special exhibits £5, tickets for large exhibitions £10. Audio tour in English £3. Open M-W 10am-6pm, Th-F 10am-9pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm. Guided tours Tu at 3pm, Th at 1:15pm, Sa-Su at 3pm (departing from main room). Certain scheduled nights open until 10pm.
Westminster
WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Off Parliament Sq.
ABBEY, HISTORICAL SITE
020 7222 5152 www.westminster-abbey.org
Founded in 960CE, Westminster Abbey became the royals’ church after the crowning of William the Conqueror in 1066. Nearly every monarch since William has been crowned here. Henry III built the modern abbey, but Edward the Confessor built the first church on the site. Inside the abbey, you can see the high altar where kings and queens are crowned and where coffins are displayed during funerals. Especially impressive is the statue of Lord and Lady Norris in the north chapel. Sunlight floods the Lady Chapel during the day, and it’s a sight worth seeing. In the Poets’ Corner rests the tomb of Chaucer as well as monuments to W.H. Auden, George Eliot, Dylan Thomas, D. H. Lawrence, Lord Byron, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Laurence Olivier.
Westminster. Walk down Westminster Bridge away from the water on the side of the Westminster tube stop. Parliament Square and the abbey will be on your left. Audio tours in 11 languages, including English. Definitely take advantage of this free tour (narrated by Jeremy Irons in true Troy Mclure fashion), as there aren’t many signs around the abbey. £15, students and seniors £12, ages 11-18 £6, under 11 (accompanied by adult) free, family ticket (2 adults and 1 child) £30 plus £6 for each additional child. Open M-Tu 9:30am-3:30pm, W 9:30am-6:00pm, Th-Sa 9:30am-3:30pm. Abbey Museum open daily 10:30am-4pm.
CHURCHILL MUSEUM, CABINET WAR ROOMS
Clive Steps, King Charles St.
MUSEUM, HISTORICAL SITE
020 7930 6961 www.iwm.org.uk/cabinet
The War Rooms opened in 1938, a week before WWII broke out. They were used as a shelter for important government officers, and Winston Churchill spent almost
mind the doors
In many other countries, the train doors for Underground equivalents are pushovers. If you’re having a bad hair day and your sleeve is caught in the sensor, the train won’t go anywhere. However, things are different in England, and the Brits’ gentility is not shared by their train doors. If you try and get on a packed train as the doors are closing, you may wind up leaving your bag and half a limb behind you.
every day of the war in the windowless, airless subterranean rooms, recreated here and opened for public access. The rooms are tense with wartime anxiety, and the map room, with lights that were not turned off for six years during the war, still burns bright. Connected to the Cabinet War Rooms is the Churchill museum. Visitors can step on the sensors to hear excerpts from some of his most famous speeches and watch videos detailing the highs and lows of his career. Also on display are his alcohol habits, which included drinks with breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, and his patented “romper,” better known as a onesie.
Westminster or St. James’s Park. From Westminster, take a right down Parliament St. and a left onto King Charles St. Free sound guide available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew, Dutch and Mandarin. £14.95, students and seniors £12, disabled £9, under 16 free. Special rates available for groups, so call ahead. Open daily 9:30am-6pm. Last entry 1hr. before close. Call about scheduling a 2hr. tour.
Buckingham Palace
George III bought Buckingham House—which wasn’t originally built for the royals—in 1761 for his wife, Queen Charlotte. Charlotte proceeded to give birth to 14 out of her 15 children at Buckingham Palace. The house was expanded by George IV, who commissioned John Nash to transform the existing building into a palace. In 1837, Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace, and it has remained a royal residence since then.
Every day at 11:30am from April to late July, and every other day the rest of the year, the Changing o
f the Guard takes place. The “Changing of the Guard” is the exchange of guard duty between different regiments. Forget the dumb American movies where an obnoxious tourist tries in every immature way possible to make the unflinching guards at Buckingham Palace move; the guards are far enough away so that tourists can do no more than whistle every time they move 3 ft. and salute. The entire spectacle lasts 40min. To see it, you should show up well before 11:30am and stand in front of the palace in view of the morning guards. The middle of the week is the least crowded time to watch.
THE STATE ROOMS
At the end of the Mall
PALACE