London - Inner Buildings & Towers

The Houses of Parliament are located in the Palace of Westminster. The houses include the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It was built in 1840, and has a neogothic style. Outside the Palace is the famous Big Ben clock tower. It is possible to visit parts of the Palace when the parliament is not in session, but entry is restricted for security reasons.

Earl's Court Exhibition Centre is a large complex of exhibition halls that hosts anything from live music to trade shows.

Built in the 14th century for Edward III, it was used to house the King's treasures. The tower contains a museum detailing it's history.

Oxo Tower was originally constructed as a power station in the late 19th century, was purchased by the makers of Oxo beef cubes and subsequently turned into an Art Deco-designed tower in the late 1920s. The building's distinctive windows came about when the owners were refused permission to cover the tower in advertisements for Oxo, and so responded by creating a series of windows that spell out the product name instead. A range of hip shops are housed within the building, as are a number of flats. There is also a restaurant on the top floor offering impressive views of London.

Wellington Arch was built in 1830 by Decimus Burton to serve as the original outer entrance to Buckingham Palace. A museum of the monument's history is inside the arch and from the balcony at the top you get a good view of Westminster.

Construction on the 40-story, 30 St Mary Axe (Swiss Re Building) in London's financial district was completed in 2004, and the tower instantly became one of the most recognizable sites in a city full of some of the world's most famous historical and cultural attractions. Designed by famed architect Norman Foster, the building is environmentally sustainable and is humourously referred to as "The Gherkin" due to it's distinctive pickle-shaped exterior.