Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Highgate Cemetery CEMETERY A stone's throw east of Hampstead Heath,
this beautiful cemetery is laid out around a huge 300-year-old cedar tree and is laced
with serpentine pathways. The cemetery was so popular and fashionable in the Vic-
torian era that it was extended on the other side of Swain's Lane in 1857. The most
famous grave is that of Karl Marx, who died in Hampstead in 1883; his grave,
marked by a gargantuan bust, is in the eastern cemetery. In the old western ceme-
tery—accessible only by guided tour, given hourly in summer—are scientist Michael
Faraday and poet Christina Rossetti.
Swain's Lane, N6. &   020/8340-1834. http://highgate-cemetery.org. Western Cemetery guided tour
£7 adults, £5 students, £3 children 8-15 (cash only). Eastern Cemetery admission £3 adults, £2 students,
free children 15 and under (cash only). Western Cemetery: Mar-Oct tours Mon-Fri 2pm, Sat-Sun hourly
11am-4pm; Nov-Feb tours Sat-Sun hourly 11am-3pm. Eastern Cemetery: Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-
4:30pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4:30pm; Nov-Mar Mon-Fri 10am-3:30pm, Sat-Sun 11am-3:30pm. Both ceme-
teries closed at Christmas and during funerals. Tube: Archway, then bus 143, 210, 271, or C11.
Jewish Museum MUSEUM Reopened to the public in 2010, following a £10
million improvement, this Camden museum retells the often difficult history of Brit-
ain's Jewish communities from the Middle Ages to the present, as well as illuminating
aspects of Jewish ritual and belief. Most of the items date from after the English Civil
Wars, when Oliver Cromwell changed the law to allow Jews to settle in Britain. You
can explore a recreated Victorian Jewish Quarter from East London, see a variety of
historical artifacts, including a 17th-century synagogue ark, and, in the most affecting
section, learn about the Holocaust as experienced by a single Auschwitz survivor,
Leon Greenman, whose story is cleverly (and movingly) used to represent the plight
of an entire people.
129-131 Albert St., NW1. &   020/8371-7373. www.jewishmuseum.org.uk. Admission £7 adults, £6
seniors and students, £3 children 5-15, free for children 4 and under. Sun-Wed 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-
9pm, Fri 10am-2pm. Tube: Camden Town.
London Zoo (ZSL) ZOO When London Zoo—one of the finest big city
zoos in the world—was founded back in 1820, it was purely for the purposes of sci-
entific research. Highlights of the modern London Zoo include the “Clore Rainforest
Lookout,” a steamy indoor replica jungle inhabited by sloths, tamarin monkeys, and
lemurs; “B.U.G.S,” which apparently stands for Biodiversity Underpinning Global
Survival, but does also contain plenty of bugs, including leaf-cutter ants, brightly
colored beetles, and giant, scary bird-eating spiders; and, the current flagship,
“Gorilla Kingdom,” a moated island resembling an African forest clearing, which
provides a naturalistic habitat for gorillas and colobus monkeys. There are always
plenty of activities going on here, including keeper talks, feeding times, and “meet the
animals” displays. A day-planner is handed out at the front gate, or you can download
one from the website.
Insider tip: Savings of around 10% can be made if you book a family ticket online;
these are not available at the front gate.
Outer Circle, Regent's Park, NW1. &   020/7722-3333. www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo. Admission winter
season/mid-season/peak-season including donation: £18/19/19.80 adults, £16.50/17.50/18.30 students
and seniors, £15/15.50/16 children 3-15. Mar-Oct daily 10am-5:30pm; Nov-Feb daily 10am-4pm. Tube:
Regent's Park or Camden Town/Bus: C2 or 274.
Regent's Park PARK Designed by 18th-century genius John Nash to
surround a palace for the Prince Regent (the palace never materialized), this is the
most classically beautiful of all London's parks, and featured briefly in the film, The
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