Peter & Angela Mahnke ‘91 have lived in London for the past 10 years with their two sons. Here are some of their tips for visitors…

London is a big city - the largest in Europe with 8.5 million people, but the center is fairly compact with many sites within an easy walk of each other. So here are two walks that will take you past some great sites.

Walk One – Westminster

Start on Westminster Bridge; from here you can see most of the skyline of London including Parliament, Big Ben, Scotland Yard and the London Eye. Walk over the bridge and visit the Westminster Abbey with the tombstones that read like a who’s who of English literature, music and politics. Walk up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square. You will pass Downing Street, the Churchill Museum, the Horse Guards; all in just a few blocks! The road ends at Trafalgar Square with the huge Nelson’s Column, lovely fountains and the National Gallery at the top. There is also the church, St Martin-in-the-Fields (they serve a nice lunch in the crypt!) From here, you could walk to the left, through Admiralty Arch and up The Mall to see Buckingham Palace, or to the right up to Piccadilly Circus and shop on the wonderful Regent and Oxford Streets.

Walk Two – Southbank

This walk is on the South side of the river. Start at the same place, Westminster Bridge and walk past the old County Hall to the London Eye. If you have the time and the weather, the views are amazing. Continue along the river to the Southbank Centre with the Royal Festival Hall and National Theatre where there are great concerts and plays every day. Keep walking and you will come to Gabriel’s Wharf with many restaurants. From here you can continue on past the Globe Theatre to the Tate Modern, or back track to Waterloo Bridge and walk past Sommerset House up to the Strand. Here you can go right and see the Royal Courts of Justice and wander through the Temple or straight on to see Covent Garden and Leicester Square.