Even going at a leisurely pace, you can stroll across the City of London in an hour or so. How can that be? Everyone knows that London is a vast metropolitan area that stretches for miles across southern England. The answer is that the City of London is only a small part of this vast metropolitan area, a city within a city, that is only 1.12 square miles (hence its nickname “The Square Mile”).
The importance of The City, as it is often called, is disproportionate to its size. It is the center of the U.K.'s financial industry and is one of the leading global financial centers. Numerous banks, insurance companies and other businesses are headquartered or have offices. Although only about 7,000 people live in the City, about 300,000 work there. It is the oldest section of London, founded by the Romans in 47 A.D. However, unlike the “old towns” of many European capitals, The City is not made up of quaint buildings that time has passed by. Although the street plan dates back to the Middle Ages, the buildings range from very old to very new. It is an area that has moved with the times. In this walk across the City, we shall look at some of its sights and landmarks. We shall not see everything there is to see in the City. Rather, the objective is to give you an idea of what can be seen and of the atmosphere of the City. |
Above: Remains of the Roman Wall that surrounded ancient London can be seen in the grounds of the Tower of London.
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Cruise destination - England - A Walk Across the City of London