Category: Sights

One of the pleasures I had on my list for very long time is visiting Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre at the riverside of the Thames between Southwark Bridge and Millenium Bridge. The current building was opened in 1997 and it is a replica of the original Globe Theatre built in 1599 (burned down in 1613 and finally removed after reconstruction in 1644). Even though it had to be modernized for security reasons the Globe still gives you the original feeling of a playhouse of Elizabethan times.

A place that locals use to hang out and have a picnic is the centrally located St. James’s Park. You can find the 23 hectares large green area at Westminster, bet ween Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and 10 Downing Street. It includes a round course around the long stretched lake, but also a coffee bar and a kiosk. The area was formerly used for hunting in the 1530s and is named after St. James the Minor.

Don’t be disappointed once you reach St. Dunstan-in-the-East between Monument and the Tower of London. It is often listed as a secret hint for travelers but it is more or less a small park you can sit down at, observe some squirrels and read a book while being in the city center of London. What makes it special is that the Gothic-style church from the 13th century was destroyed by a German attack in World War II; only the tower designed by Sir Christopher Wren is still fully intact. Therefore there is now a park within the walls of a former church without a roof.

If you want to have a great view on the skyline of London there are different places to consider like Parliament Hill at Hampstead Heath or Muswell hill, but the best place I discovered by incident: the terrace of the Alexandra Palace located inside Alexandra Park. It is an event location known for darts and snooker tournaments, but Ally Pally is also the best option for Londoners to ride their sledges in the rare events of snow in the city.

One of Londons highlights outside the city center is the historic Highgate Cemetery. Located in the north in todays city quarter Camden it was opened in 1839, became the graveyard for many persons living in exile and it had to close around the year 1960. Fifteen years later a friend’s association acquired the land and therefore it can these days be visited again and also burials are again happening in this place. That feels a bit odd in the beginning, but seems to work well.