The Best Places to Soak Up London's History

The great historic landmarks in London never fail to stir the imagination: They've been witness to glorious triumphs and bloody tragedies — and it's almost impossible to remain unmoved when visiting them. London offers plenty of top attractions, and you should visit them all, but here are a few of the best:

• An almost perceptible aura of legend pervades the Tower of London, which was built over 900 years ago. When visiting the Tower, you tread the ground where the great dramas and terrors of a turbulent kingdom were played out, where Elizabeth I was held captive while still a princess, and where Sir Thomas More and Anne Boleyn (second wife of Henry VIII and mother of the future Elizabeth I) were beheaded.

• No less venerable is Westminster Abbey, a magnificent Gothic church that ranks as the most historically significant religious structure in England. Stepping into Westminster Abbey, you enter the place where England's kings and queens have been crowned since William the Conqueror claimed the throne in 1066 and where some of England's greatest figures are buried or memorialized.

• Many of London's most historic sites are or were royal domains, and royal watching is a sport almost as popular as horse racing. Okay, so you're probably not going to get invited to the queen's garden party, but you can see where those famous parties take place — and stroll through the royal staterooms — by visiting Buckingham Palace, the queen's London residence and a seat of today's royal power and intrigue.

• If you missed the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace or want another dose of that royal pomp and pageantry, Windsor Castle is less than an hour away. Reputedly the queen's favorite castle, Windsor has a 900-year history that stretches back to the time of William the Conqueror. Many of the rooms that you visit today were remodeled in the time of Queen Victoria.

• Hampton Court Palace is one of the most magnificent of former royal palaces, and you can easily get there in 30 minutes by train from Central London (or, more romantically, by taking a boat on the Thames). In addition to visiting dozens of staterooms in this 16th-century Tudor palace where Henry VIII once resided, you can enjoy the splendid gardens with their famous maze.

• Occupying a spot right on the River Thames, the Houses of Parliament and their landmark clock tower containing Big Ben have been a familiar sight to Londoners for over 150 years. In the summer, fascinating tours of this seat of power let you see the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Or you can just admire the buildings from the outside and wait for the hourly boom of Big Ben.

• St. Paul's Cathedral, with its landmark dome, is dear to the hearts of Londoners and is used for events of national significance. A masterpiece by the architect Sir Christopher Wren, the cathedral was built following the Great Fire that swept through London in 1666.