Greenwich

Greenwich is a historic maritime district on the south bank of the Thames in south-east London, England, and part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area is best known for the Royal Observatory, where the Prime Meridian marks longitude 0 degrees and visitors can stand with a foot on either side of the line. The Observatory also holds the Peter Harrison Planetarium and the Octagon Room designed by Christopher Wren. Below it, Greenwich Park offers views over the Old Royal Naval College, the Queen's House and the Isle of Dogs, with Canary Wharf rising behind. The Cutty Sark, the preserved nineteenth-century tea clipper, can be explored on deck and below, and the National Maritime Museum, with free entry, tells the story of Britain's seafaring history. The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College is often called the Sistine Chapel of the UK. Greenwich Market has food stalls, crafts and antiques, and several historic pubs sit along the riverfront. Visitors reach Greenwich by the Docklands Light Railway to Cutty Sark, by train from London Bridge or by Thames Clipper river boat, which gives views of the city. A day is needed to cover the main sites, and the uphill walk to the Observatory takes about ten minutes. The best photographic view is from the terrace by the General Wolfe statue. Crowds peak at weekends and during school holidays, particularly around the Meridian Line, where queues form in the afternoon. Weekday mornings are calmer. Visitors can structure a day easily. A common route starts with the Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College, moves through Greenwich Market for lunch, climbs to the Royal Observatory for the Meridian Line, and finishes with the park and sunset views. The Greenwich foot tunnel leads to the Isle of Dogs, and the O2 arena and cable car are a short river trip east. Greenwich Park also holds a deer enclosure and a rose garden.