Travel Reference
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time out in the city's surprisingly large expanses of greenery: Hyde Park, Green Park and
St James's Park are all within a few minutes' walk of the West End, while, further afield,
you can enjoy the more expansive parklands of Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park.
You could spend days just shopping in London, too, mixing with the upper classes in
the “tiara triangle” around Harrods, or sampling the offbeat weekend markets of
Portobello Road, Brick Lane and Camden. The music , clubbing and gay and lesbian
scenes are second to none, with an ever-growing selection of clubs and bars around
Shoreditch and Dalston and new music festivals cropping up every summer. Mainstream
arts are no less exciting, with regular opportunities to catch outstanding theatre
companies, dance troupes, exhibitions and opera. The city's pubs have always had heaps
of atmosphere, but food is a major attraction too, with over sixty Michelin-starred
restaurants and the widest choice of cuisines on the planet.
What to see
Although most of the city's sights are north of the River Thames , which loops through the
centre from west to east, there is no single focus of interest. That's because London hasn't
grown through centralized planning but by a process of agglomeration. Villages and urban
developments that once surrounded the core are now lost within the vast mass of Greater
London, leaving London's highlights widely spread, and meaning that visitors should make
mastering the public transport system, particularly the Underground (tube), a top priority.
If London has a centre, it's Trafalgar Square , home to Nelson's Column and the National
Gallery. It's also as good a place as any to start exploring the city, especially as the area to the
 
 
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