palace

When you think of English royalty, a few images might come to mind: Queen Elizabeth outfitted in a bright dress and matching hat, Prince William and Duchess Kate on their wedding day, or a black-and-white image of an elderly Queen Victoria. To most tourists in London, the only essential royal site to visit would be Buckingham Palace with its famous columned façade and marching guardsmen. To a royal enthusiast, however, London offers a wealth of sites steeped in regal history. With a bit of guidance, any tourist can become a royal enthusiast and have an extremely rewarding time discovering the well-known and little-known royal sites throughout London.

Anyone who disagrees with the saying “bigger is always better” has never been to Russia’s State Hermitage Museum. The largest museum in the world, the Hermitage boasts roughly three million pieces of art and has nearly as many visitors annually. Founded by Catherine the Great in 1764, the Hermitage has the largest collection of paintings anywhere in the world and consists of six main buildings situated along the Neva River.