Westminster: History, Art and Parks

Westminster offers several distinct reasons to stay: royal and parliamentary history, art, and parkland with wildlife. If you’re looking for a hotel in Westminster, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on during your trip. The places below offer different kinds of visits—from historic buildings and tours to art and outdoor activities.

History, Architecture and Sightseeing

Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is also the final resting place of seventeen British monarchs. Its coronation history and role as a final resting place mark two distinct facets of the same building: a ceremonial role and the burial of British monarchs.

Tours of the Palace of Westminster provide access to some of its best-known rooms. On an official Big Ben tour, you can explore the Elizabeth Tower. The tour destinations differ in specific terms: selected rooms in one case, the tower in the other. If a tour is important to your trip, check the latest visitor information for the option you’re considering.

The Jewel Tower is one of only four surviving buildings of the medieval Palace of Westminster. The Church of St Margaret, Westminster, is a late Perpendicular parish church. The architectural perspective thus ranges from a surviving building of a medieval palace to a parish church with a specific stylistic classification.

Admission to the National Gallery is free. This adds art as a distinct activity alongside the history of churches, palaces and buildings.

At Buckingham Palace, visitors can explore the State Rooms. The palace also offers a guided walking tour of the most remarkable areas of its garden. The interiors and garden therefore offer different sightseeing options. Check the latest visitor information if you plan to book either experience.

Parks, Wildlife and Exercise

The lake in St James’s Park is a natural habitat and refuge for wildlife. More than 40 pelicans have lived in the park since 1664. The lake and pelicans provide two specific points of interest for nature: habitat and wildlife.

The Green Park is a 40-acre oasis of mature trees and parkland. It has numerous routes for walking, paths and running trails; cyclists are asked to stay on designated cycle routes. For context, the stated area of 40 acres is around 16 hectares, which gives you a sense of its size in a more familiar unit of measurement.

At the southern edge of Hyde Park lies Hyde Park Playground, an exciting and adventurous play area. The parks thus have clearly distinct features: St James’s Park is known for its lake and wildlife, The Green Park for its landscape and opportunities for exercise, and Hyde Park Playground for its dedicated play area.

Discover more destinations: Mayfair

For the main travel overview: Westminster.