Covent Garden
Covent Garden has long been associated with the market trade. For some 300 years, the area has hosted traders of all sorts of wares, perhaps most famously the fruit and vegetable market, which was centred in the Piazza. The market is still here, and today, the area is also home to many shops, bars and restaurants. The street performers, and the cheering crowds they attract, give the area a very special atmosphere, and make Covent Garden a must see for all first-time visitors to London.
The world-famous Royal Opera House can be found here too. And of course Covent Garden is the heart of Theatreland: for a good retrospective, visit the Theatre Museum, which gives an overview of the evolution of the West End since 1843 to the present day.
Another popular museum in the area is the London Transport Museum, which retraces the history and development of the city's transport system.
