Clerkenwell

This inspiring walk takes you to the artistic part of the city. You’ll go past art galleries, vintage boutiques, and creative markets.There are more artists per square mile here than in any other part of Europe. During this walk you will get a sense of the artsy vibe of burgeoning, multicultural Shoreditch, with its original street art, graffiti-covered walls and industrial warehouses.

For innovative contemporary art exhibitions, visit Whitechapel Gallery, where you can admire the works of famous artists such as Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Frida Kahlo. Next, you will walk past some great markets, including Sunday UpMarket, Broadway Market, and Columbia Road Market, as well as unique vintage shops, cozy coffee shops, trendy cafés, a charming arthouse cinema, and the world´s first pop-up shopping center: Boxpark Shoreditch.  

Street food abounds on this walk: You will find people selling amazing international food everywhere. Brick Lane is the most famous street of Shoreditch, also known as Banglatown, ’ genoemd. Come here for the only true national dish: curry!

Because of its many nightlife hotspots, this also makes a great nighttime walk. Clubs, pubs, restaurants, and cafés: You name it, Shoreditch has it. For those wanting to explore more, you can also deviate from the route and head further into lesser known East London, toward up-and-coming, somewhat edgier neighborhoods like Hackney, Dalston, and Stoke Newington.  

This walk through Southwark takes you to a historical part of the city, past famous attractions such as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Tate Modern, and Southwark Cathedral. The route focuses strongly on history and culture. Here posh London gives way to a raw, industrial vibe with warehouses and old train overpasses.

On Saturdays, head to one of London´s oldest markets, Borough Market, for breakfast. Butler’s Wharf is a great place to walk around and stop at one of the sidewalk cafés, where you can enjoy an amazing view of Tower Bridge. 

For contemporary art, visit the Tate Modern, where works from most of the best-known artists from the 20th century are exhibited. The impressive building—previously a power plant—is worth a visit in and of itself. 

On the other side of the Thames, behind St. Paul’s Cathedral and The City, lies Clerkenwell. A trendy, creative neighborhood known especially for its food. There are many good restaurants and gastropubs to be found around Farringdon and Exmouth Market in particular, where you can mingle with local loft dwellers and media people.

With a myriad of culinary hotspots, this walk is an absolute must for foodies. Alongside the many restaurants and pubs, you will also find plenty of street food, especially at Maltby Street Market and Borough Market. At Smithfield Market, meat has been bought and sold for the past 800 years. If you want to see the market in full swing, you’d better get here early, preferably before 7am.