London’s many central districts may amalgamate into the tourist heart of London, but each has its own unique attributes. Whether you’re staying at the Marble Arch London for business or for pleasure, top picks for first time visits include London Bridge, Covent Garden and Soho, but look a little further west and you’ll find an often overlooked, yet tourist-primed district of the city. We’re talking about Kensington, a beautiful, Victorian renovated district that is home to some of the best museums in the city and the cultural centres which were the lifelong work of Prince Albert, husband to Queen Victoria.
The area of Kensington is easy to reach from central London, and its many attractions make for the perfect day out if you have children. Indeed, there are activities here that you can enjoy on a date, a solo trip or even a group outing with friends. This blog will outline some of the main attractions in Kensington, and how guests of luxury hotel rooms in London can best enjoy them.
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens was once a part of its neighbouring Hyde Park, but was separated from it so that Queen Caroline could build a private garden here to join onto Kensington Palace. The gardens have been open to the public since 1841. In contrast with Hyde Park, the formal landscapes and gardens within this 265 acre garden are more regal and tranquil in their appearance. Guests of hotels near Oxford Street London should keep an eye out for Kensington Gardens’ many sculptures, plaques and monuments to famous English figures and events.
Serpentine Gallery
Located within Kensington Gardens. The Serpentine Art Gallery consists of two exhibition spaces – the Serpentine Sackler and Pavilion. Overlooking the Serpentine Lake, the gallery focuses on contemporary art, with monthly to bi-monthly programmes of artist showcases. What’s more, it’s free to visit.
Royal Albert Hall
One of the most famous music venues in London, the Victorian dome of the Royal Albert Hall is made even more striking by the beautiful 500-metre long frieze that encircles the building. This frieze explores the history of the arts, a subject matter that its namesake and creator Prince Albert was very passionate about. Originally a music hall that encouraged the people of London to engage with the arts, the Royal Albert Hall seats more than 5000 people and has been a music venue for music legends such as David Bowie and Paul Mccartney.
Museum Row
Guests of London hotel special offers looking for budget days out in the city should look no further than South Kensington’s Museum Row, a collection of museums that were first developed as part of Prince Albert’s development of “Albertopolis”, a cultural hub for the people of London to learn more about the world. Museum Row includes three museums – the NAtural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum of Design.
The V&A is famous for being the largest design museum in the world whilst the Natural History Museum and Science Museum attract more than five million visitors a year each. With free-to-visit permanent galleries, this trio of museums can take up a full day out, if not longer, and include accessible exhibitions that will keep young children’s attention too.
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