TRAVEL
Art Cities: London

London is one of the world's most vibrant cities, and is pre-eminent in art and architecture. A walk around the city soon reveals its rich cultural history, from the vast collections of museums and galleries such as the National Gallery, to the impressive array of outside art such as Henry Moore's sculptures or the Egyptian obelisks on the Embankment.

Here’s our itinerary for a daytrip in London that takes you to some of its most remarkable galleries and museums. Grab your bangers and mash and get movin’:

9am: Covent Garden
Bar Porto
168 High Holborn
A great place to have breakfast and watch this colorful area wake up around
you; check out the all-day breakfast with a healthy twist at Bar Porto.

10am: Dali Universe
Across Westminster Bridge to Dali Universe, dedicated solely to the great man's life and works. Watch out for the Houses Of Parliament and Big Ben across the river from you.

12 noon: London Eye
Up the river to the London Eye, the tallest observation wheel in the world. Take a ride if you've a head for heights.

1pm: Oxo Tower
For more life in the clouds visit the Oxo Tower, for a more down to earth experience lunch in the Royal Festival Hall, home of the Hayward Gallery.

2pm: Tate Modern
Past Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to the Tate Modern. From Dali to Warhol there's art to please everyone in this huge new centre. Watch out for the huge iron spider in the entrance hall, not for the faint hearted.

4pm: Blue Print Cafe
Tea at the Blue Print Café in the Design Museum with its great views of the Thames. The exhibitions are small scale and can be visited without too much foot damage.

5pm: White Cube 2
Across Tower Bridge, past the Tower of London, Petticoat Lane and Spitalfield Markets to the White Cube 2 Gallery in Hoxton. A must for YBA fans, this is the second Cube Gallery to open.

7pm: Shoreditch
Check out The Pool, or other bars in Shoreditch, one of London's trendy areas, or the Comedy Café, for stand-up comedy, talent nights and late-night dancing at the weekends. Nearest Tube: Old Street.

City guide courtesy of Art Republicans
Shown/header image: Trafalgar Square

More sights to see in London: Charing Cross Road, Cleopatra's Needle, Kensington Roof Gardens, Old Operating Theatre Museum, Piccadilly Circus, Science Museum, Temple of Mithras, The London Eye, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square.

Also: Subterranean London

Find out about events in other cities, in the DEC/JAN issue of "Arte Six."
Original post date: "Arte Six," OCT/NOV 2004