SIGHTS IN LONDON - London 2015 - page 120

Visiting the Museum: Start with the museum's latest pride and joy: the recently ren-
ovated WWI galleries. Comprehensive exhibits narrate the war's history through the lives
of those on the front lines and on the home front. Displays include a simulated supply
line—showing what it took to keep the troops fed and ready to fight—and a re-created
trench, complete with sound effects.
Then head into the WWII section that explains the Blitzkrieg and its effects, and visit
the Family in Wartime exhibit, which tells the story of one London family during the war.
The cinema on the ground floor shows a rotating selection of films. Up on the first
floor, you'll get the best view of the entry hall's large exhibits —including an awesome
50-foot V-2 rocket (towering up from the ground floor)—the kind the Nazis rained down
on London, which could arrive silently and destroy a city block.
London's Best Views
Though London is a height-challenged city, you can get lofty perspectives on it
from several high-flying places. For some viewpoints, you need to pay admission
(cheapest at The Monument), and at the bars or restaurants, you'll need to buy a
drink; the only truly free spots are Primrose Hill, the rooftop terrace of a shopping
mall next to St. Paul's Cathedral, and the viewpoint in front of Greenwich's Royal
Observatory.
London Eye: Ride the giant Ferris wheel for stunning London views. See here .
St. Paul's Dome: You'll earn a striking, unobstructed view by climbing hun-
dreds of steps to the cramped balcony of the church's cupola. See the St. Paul's
Cathedral Tour chapter.
City Rooftop Terrace: Get fine, free views of St. Paul's Cathedral and sur-
roundings—nearly as good as those from St. Paul's Dome—from the rooftop ter-
race of the shopping mall just behind and east of the church. See here .
Tate Modern: Take in a classic vista across the Thames from the museum's
level-6 restaurant and bar. See the Tate Modern Tour chapter.
The Monument: Though surrounded by modern buildings in the financial dis-
trict, this 202-foot column memorializing the Great Fire of 1666 affords a nice view
of The City. See here .
National Portrait Gallery: A mod top-floor restaurant peers over Trafalgar
Square and the Westminster neighborhood. See the National Portrait Gallery Tour
chapter.