Venere Travel Blog - It's our business where you sleep!

London has become so ubiquitous among tourists that it’s becoming somewhat Cliché.

The interesting things that there are to do, such as visiting Big Ben or doing a boat tour of the Thames, while undoubtedly being world class, often seem a little trite, and, for lack of a better phrase “done to death”. So here is a list of some of the best things to do in London a little off the beaten path.

1. Sir John Soane’s Museum

John Soane was a remarkable architect who designed the majestic Bank of England building which is famous for looking more like a Greek temple than a British bank – however, much of his magnificent work was demolished to make way for a bigger, different rendition, in a move that was once described by an architectural historian to be “the greatest architectural crime, in the City of London, of the twentieth century”. Oh well. Soane was so proud of his construction work on his own home and the priceless exhibits collected by himself that in his will he stated that it was to be turned into a Museum. The interior can only be described as strange; although it’s quite clear the man was something of a genius. The most noteworthy exhibit is the alabaster sarcophagus of Seti I, one of the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt.

Where to stay in the City, London: Hotel Club Quarters

2. 50 Berkeley Square

50 Berkeley Square is a Town House which was once occupied by the British Prime Minister George Canning in the 1700’s who once entered into a duel with a political opponent, despite having never fired a gun. What’s more interesting however is the fact that this four storey structure is considered one of Britain’s most haunted houses. In the 19th Century, several people were said to have died of shock resulting in convulsions in one of its bedrooms. One gentlemen, keen to disprove this theory, slept a night there himself, and died of shock very shortly afterwards. Many other happenings such as screams and flashings of lights were commonplace, even though the building was uninhabited. Nowadays, it’s occupied by a book shop, the owners of which have also reported strange happenings. To this day, the top floor of the house is unoccupied and not even used for storage. Worth a visit for those who want a bit of history behind horror.

Where to stay in Mayfair, London: Hotel Park Lane Mews

3. Hunterian Museum

The Hunterian Museum (not to be confused with a museum of the same name in Scotland) occupies part of the Prestigious Royal College of Surgeons and contains numerous anatomical and surgical oddities, some pickled in jars for preservation. These include the brain of Charles Babbage (the father of computers) and even preserved Octuplets. Also of interest is some 18th century surgical equipment, and the skeleton of the “Irish Giant”, a man who was 7 feet 7 inches tall. While it’s arguably rather morbid, some of the exhibits aided research into disease treatment and many of the resulting discoveries have saved millions of lives worldwide.

Where to stay in Holborn, London: Hotel Jesmond Dene

Photo of monket foetus at the Hunterian Museum, London, UK by Sumlin