London

London is one of the world's truly great cities — a 2,000-year-old metropolis that somehow manages to reinvent itself every decade while retaining the historic grandeur that draws 20 million visitors a year. Spread across 1,572 square kilometres along the Thames, its 33 boroughs each have a distinct character, from the medieval lanes of the City to the Georgian townhouses of Notting Hill and the brutalist South Bank arts complex.

The cultural offering is unmatched anywhere. London's major museums — the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert, Tate Modern, National Gallery — are free and rank among the finest in the world. The theatre scene on the West End rivals Broadway. The live music scene has produced more influential bands per square mile than almost anywhere else. And the food scene, long mocked by the French, has transformed into one of the most diverse and exciting on the planet.

What makes London truly special is its neighbourhood character. Brixton's Afro-Caribbean markets and music venues, Brick Lane's Bangladeshi curry houses and street art, Chinatown's bubble tea cafés and roast duck restaurants, Borough Market's artisan produce — each area is its own world. London rewards those who leave the tourist trail and simply walk, discovering hidden pubs, canal towpaths, and community markets that most visitors never find.