Best Places to Visit in London: The Strand, The City, and St. Paul's

Click the links below to go directly to a specific place or just read the page below to explore this section of London, England.

• Covent Garden, the Temple (and Temple Church), St. Paul's Cathedral

Before the Embankment was constructed (mid 1800's), the Strand was a pathway that connected the City with Westminster. The City, also known as the Square Mile, marks the "original"  settlement of London and in several areas you can see the original walls that once surrounded it.  The City was devastated in the Great Fire of 1666 but rebounded and is today one of the world's centers of banking and insurance. It is the site of many impressive buildings and is a good place for a leisurely stroll.

We provide brief descriptions of Covent Garden, the Temple and St, Paul's Cathedral linking these locations to a detailed map of this area of London. The blue numbered locations symbolized on the map are linked back to the descriptions of the attractions, so you can click them and return to the feature's description on this page.

Along the Strand

Covent Garden

  

Covent Garden, Leicester Square

If you like shopping for trinkets and unique treasures (there are lots of independent artisans here), you will find Covent Garden a pleasure. Home of the Royal Opera House (recently refurbished at an expense of over £200 million) and the London Transport Museum, the Covent Garden area is best known for its shops, restaurants and ubiquitous street performers.

Covent Garden is good fun, and a nice though touristy place to have a meal and do some shopping. Usually crowded, especially around the “market building”, the Garden offers interesting stores filled with antiques and custom made goods. Some sellers operate from portable stands, others in stalls housed in buildings surrounding Covent Garden's main structure. You can spend a great deal of time here unearthing some real treasures that you won’t find elsewhere in London. For more information about Covent Garden, check-in at Covent Garden Life.

If Covent Garden looks familiar to you, it has been the stage for several movies.  In addition, this is where George Bernard Shaw, author of  Pygmalion, contrived to have  Professor Henry Higgins, who was waiting for a buggy to depart the opera, first see Eliza Doolittle selling flowers in what was then the flower market.  You may know this story as "My Fair Lady".

The Temple

  

Temple

The Temple is an area of London’s “Inns of Courts" whose architecture evokes the Middle Ages and, some think, the best vestiges of the British Empire. It is a wonderful area for a walk featuring historic architecture and you may see wigged barristers on their way to court.

For many, the area is best known for the Temple Church, a round church, built the Knight Templars and consecrated in 1185. The church’ architecture follows the rounded form favor by the Knights Templar and it is a must see if you are interested in history in general or the Knights in particular. The Church’s marble effigies of William of Pembroke and his sons adorn the floor of the nave. Renewed interest in the church has resulted from its crucial role in the recent novel “the DaVinci Code”.

Visit the Temple Church web site  to find out when the Church is open to visitors.  If interested in the rest of the story, when at the web site, click on "History" for a thorough background on the Temple Church.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Considered by many to be the masterpiece of Christopher Wren (the architect whose influence molded the new London that rose after the epic “Fire of London” destroyed most of the city in 1666)St. Paul's is one of London's most popular attractions. From the outside, St. Paul's appears imposing and staid, on the inside its mixed architectural style is beautiful, awe inspiring and elegant.

St. Paul’s dome is landmark visible from many areas of London and one of the largest cathedral domes in the world. The famed “Whispering Gallery, near the top of the dome is often filled with kids, whispering secret messages to their friends or parents, on the opposite side of the dome. You can ascend higher into the dome to the Stone Gallery for fine views of London. If you have the stamina, continue up to the Golden Gallery, the smallest and highest gallery, for an even better view.

The tombs of Admiral Nelson, Wellington and Wren can be found in the Crypt beneath St. Paul's.

Check to see if there is  an organ  or a chorale concert scheduled during your visit.  If so, plan on attending, as it is a truly memorable experience. With the right music being played, you can "feel" the vibrations of this amazing instrument.

Visit the official St. Paul's web site  for details on admission, opening hours and schedule of events.

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Best Places to Visit in the United Kingdom