The City: London

The City, or the Square Mile as it is also known, occupies one square mile in the middle of London and is the historic centre of trade and finance. It still remains so, although many banks and financial companies have started to move further afield into Canary Wharf and the Docklands.

The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral dominates the skyline, though the presence of the "Gherkin" (an office building so named for its resemblance to a gherkin - that's a pickle), tends to compete for visual attention. The major livery companies (basically trade associations) of London, steeped with history and tradition, tend to be based within the City and there is pervasive sense of history in the area.

High-flying executives are not without a place to dine, as the City is rife with over-priced restaurants and bars to cater to the inflated fat-cat salaries of these City workers. To avoid those fat-cats head to the Cheshire Cheese, a traditional old English pub just off Fleet Street. © NileGuide