The British Museum, London, England

Description

British Museum, England
The country’s largest museum and one of the oldest and finest in the world, this famous museum boasts vast Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, Roman, European and Middle Eastern galleries, among others. It is frequently London’s most-visited attraction, drawing 6.5 million visitors annually.
Don’t miss the Rosetta Stone, the key to deciphering Egyptian hiero­glyphics, discovered in 1799; the controversial Parthenon Sculptures, taken from the Parthenon in Athens by Lord Elgin (then the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire); and the large collection of Egyptian mummies.






Natural History Museum
This colossal and magnificent-looking building is infused with the irrepressible Victorian spirit of collecting, cataloguing and interpreting the natural world. The Dinosaurs Gallery (Blue Zone) is a must for children, who gawp at the animatronic T-Rex, fossils and excellent displays. Adults for their part will love the intriguing Treasures exhibition in the Cadogan Gallery (Green Zone), which houses a host of unrelated objects each telling its own unique story, from a chunk of moon rock to a dodo skeleton.

St Paul’s Cathedral
Towering over diminutive Ludgate Hill in a superb position that’s been a place of Christian worship for over 1400 years (and pagan before that), St Paul’s is one of London’s most magnificent buildings. For Londoners, the vast dome is a symbol of resilience and pride, standing tall for more than 300 years. Viewing Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece from the inside and climbing to the top for sweeping views of the capital is an exhilarating experience.

National Gallery
With some 2300 European masterpieces on display, this is one of the world’s great art collections, with seminal works from every important period in the history of art – from the mid-13th to the early 20th century, including masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Van Gogh and Renoir.Many visitors flock to the East Wing (1700–1900), where works by 18th-century British artists such as Gainsborough, Constable and Turner, and seminal Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces by Van Gogh, Renoir and Monet await.






Hampton Court Palace
Built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1514 but coaxed from him by Henry VIII just before Wolsey (as chancellor) fell from favour, Hampton Court Palace is England’s largest and grandest Tudor structure. It was already one of Europe’s most sophisticated palaces when, in the 17th century, Christopher Wren designed an extension. The result is a beautiful blend of Tudor and ‘restrained baroque’ architecture. You could easily spend a day exploring the palace and its 24 hectares of riverside gardens, including a 300-year-old maze.

Sir John Soane’s Museum
This little museum is one of the most atmospheric and fascinating in London. The building was the beautiful, bewitching home of architect Sir John Soane (1753–1837), which he left brimming with his vast architectural and archaeological collection, as well as intriguing personal effects and curiosities. The museum represents his exquisite and eccentric tastes, persuasions and proclivities.

Florence Nightingale Museum
This small but almost perfect museum looks at the life and legacy of Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), considered the founder of modern nursing. Her story is told through memorabilia and documents – don’t miss her (now stuffed) pet owl Athena and the lantern she carried while visiting the wards at night. Most illuminating are her letters and, highlight of the collection, a recording of her voice made in 1890, by which time she’d become one of the world’s first A-list celebrities.

St John’s Priory Church
The Priory Church is one of London’s oldest churches. This whole area was originally part of the medieval St John’s Priory and is now associated with the revived Order of St John. The walled garden, planted with medicinal herbs and flowers, was built as a memorial to St John’s workers who died during the world wars. Sadly the church can only be visited on a guided tour, along with St John’s Gate.






Guildhall Art Gallery
The City of London has had centuries to acquire a tasty art collection, which has been shown off in a building near its Guildhall headquarters since 1886. It was only after the original gallery was destroyed during the Blitz that beneath it was discovered a long-sought-after archaeological prize: Londinium’s Roman amphitheatre (circa 70 AD). It’s foundations are now displayed in the lower floors, alongside a Heritage Gallery devoted to important historic documents.
Chelsea Physic Garden
You may bump into a wandering duck or two as you enter this walled pocket of botanical enchantment, established by the Apothecaries’ Society in 1673 for students working on medicinal plants and healing. One of Europe’s oldest of its kind, the small grounds are a compendium of botany, from carnivorous pitcher plants to rich yellow flag irises, a cork oak from Portugal, the largest outdoor fruiting olive tree in the British Isles, rare trees and shrubs.

Visit the official website for complete details,The British Museum, London, England www.britishmuseum.org