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Are traditional sights like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace*, and the London Eye* dull? There is another way: more fantastic, alternative, hipper & mysterious. Here are a few ingenious hotspots.
London is an absolute tourist magnet. No other city in Europe attracts so many visitors: in 2017, there were 19.8 million. No wonder the metropolis is overflowing with sights. You can easily spend two weeks here, exploring the city every day, only to be disillusioned at the end: There is much more waiting. I’ll let you in on a few London insider tips.
Let’s start on the Thames.
London was built around the Thames. So why not get on a boat and admire the city from the river? There’s plenty of choice in London for that. With the City Cruises boats, for example, you can travel from pier to pier for 24 hours with a hop-on hop-off ticket and see the city’s highlights. How about dinner on the Thames inclusive tour and treating yourself to a three-hour dinner on board. In summer, some ships even offer open-air movie nights …
Explore by bus & tube.
A tour on the water is only sometimes everyone’s thing! With the Tube lines, you can quickly get to all the city sights. The only drawback: you see almost nothing during the ride except the tube stops and other passengers. Therefore my tip: Use bus line 9 from Somerset House in Aldwych. This passes many sights like Trafalgar Square, Green Park, and Kensington Palace. Also worth taking is the number 11 bus from Liverpool Street, which will take you past St Paul’s, Whitehall, and Downing Street, among others.
Markets to feast in: Brixton, Maltby Street, Southbank Centre.
Not all markets are the same. Of course, that goes for the ones in London, too. On one market, you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables; on another, you can buy clothes and other odds and ends. A beautiful market in London is Brixton.
This is mainly due to its multicultural offerings, as many vendors specialize in African and Caribbean street food treats. And if you’re looking for an exotic souvenir, look out for Caribbean art.
Of course, if you’re roaming around London, you’ll occasionally come across street food stalls. Some are okay, and some are not. If you want to be safe and eat delicious street food in London, it’s best to head to Maltby Street Market. Open on weekends, this flea market, which is much smaller and more intimate than the famous Borough Market, simply offers the best street food, according to many visitors. Also worth a visit is the Southbank Centre Market, which is always open Fridays through Sundays.
Leake Street
About a five-minute walk from the London Eye is the Leake Street Tunnel. In the tunnel below Waterloo Station, plenty of graffiti works are to admire. And with some luck, you can also look over the shoulder of a graffiti artist at work. The wall is constantly being sprayed with new graffiti.
Good view from Primrose Hill
You can get a beautiful view of the London countryside from Primrose Hill? For many London locals, the answer is obvious: on Primrose Hill, of course! Here you’ll enjoy a fabulous view of the city skyline. When the weather is nice, I can chill here for hours. It’s even nicer here at night when the darkness of Regent’s Park contrasts with the city lights.
How about cemeteries?!
London is home to “The Magnificent Seven”: a collection of beautiful and prestigious cemeteries from the Victorian era. Abney Park and Tower Hamlets are worth a visit and free to boot. Still, the most famous cemetery is Highgate Cemetery, with its many mausoleums. You can wander for hours in the mysterious woods and visit the tombstones of celebrities like Karl Marx, Patrick Caulfield, and Douglas Adams. The entrance fee is 4 pounds.
This would be a good alternative if the Highgate Vampire didn’t get you.
Yoga in the skyscraper
You can experience a great yoga class at The Shard* in Southwark. On the 24th floor of the skyscraper, you can relax during the week evenings and weekends with a yoga session and enjoy an absolutely fantastic view of Tower Bridge and the City of London. If you have the wherewithal, you can also book a private yoga class for two, including breakfast and champagne, on the 74th-floor observation deck. Cost: around 1620 pounds.
The Postal Museum
At first glance, visiting the Postal Museum may sound boring but bear with… The Postal Museum in London, however, is something special. Like many London museums, it is well-curated and offers many exciting exhibits related to postal history.
But the museum’s highlight is a mail train that you can ride on through the underground tunnels that the Royal Mail service used for most of the 20th century.
What to bring home for the ones at home
Suppose it’s something tasty to bring home for family & friends. In that case, Paul Rothe & Son in Marylebone has you covered with preserved tins, jams and preserves, relishes and cookies – all very British, of course! The quirky interior has fallen out of time and is also great. If you get hungry after shopping, you can treat yourself to a bite to eat in the in-house sandwich store. Instead of buying vintage clothes, housewares, or accessories, head to the small labor-and-wait store in the Market District in East London.
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