Tourist information on London, United Kingdom

London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is a major global city which is both one of the world's most popular tourist attractions and a leading centre of education, arts, finance, commerce and politics. It was founded by the Romans in the second century AD, originally named Londinium. Its many visitor attractions include the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, the Place of Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, 30 St Mary Axe (a.k.a. The Gherkin), St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square. London is also a major centre of culture and has many museums and galleries, including the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Royal Academy. The most popular of the city's many parks and gardens are: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park and St James's Park.

London is the seat of the UK Government, situated around the Palace of Westminster. Most government departments are located along Whitehall, where the Prime Minister's residence is situated at Number 10 Downing Street. The affluent West End contains the city's most popular entertainment venues (numerous theatres, clubs and cinemas) and is a major shopping district. Over the past decade, the traditionally poorer East End has been subject to extensive redevelopment and is becoming a sought after residential area, providing easy access for the city's financial centre.

The London Underground (known as the Tube) was founded in 1863 and is the oldest subterranean rail network in the world, as well as one of the most extensive. The recently refurbished St. Pancras International station is served by high speed Eurostar trains to many European destinations, including Paris, Lille and Brussels. The city has five major airports: London Heathrow (which caters for more international passengers than any other airport in the world and is home to British Airways), London Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City Airport. London has so far hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1908 and 1948, and will do so again in 2012 (making it the first city to host the games three times). It has many world class sporting venues, including the new Wembley Stadium, which has a capacity of 90,000, and Lord's Cricket Ground.