Discover Tower Hamlets: Holiday apartments between culture and nature

Tower Hamlets combines culture, nature and local markets with waterside locations. Anyone wishing to discover the different facets of a London borough will find historic buildings, museums, galleries, parks and markets, each with its own character.

Culture and history

The Tower of London is a World Heritage Site and a listed building with the highest level of protection, Grade I. Its history spans almost a thousand years. An admission ticket to the Tower of London includes access to the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, the battlements, the Bloody Tower, the “Torture at the Tower” exhibition, the Fusiliers Museum and the exhibition on the Royal Mint.

St Katharine Docks also combine historical development with present-day use. They were officially opened on 25 October 1828 and designed by engineer Thomas Telford as two interconnected basins. After closing in 1968, they were revived as a marina and tourist attraction. At the dockside, visitors can see yachts, black bollards and waterfowl.

The “London, Sugar & Slavery” gallery explores London’s overlooked role in slavery. The Cultural Trail in Tower Hamlets offers another way to access the area’s rich heritage: it uses eight information panels to guide visitors through the culture of the area around Brick Lane and nearby Spitalfields.

Museums and exhibitions

The London Museum Docklands is located in No. 1 Warehouse at West India Quay. West India Quay DLR station is a three-minute walk from the London Museum Docklands. The new museum includes an expanded exhibition area that offers additional insights into Victorian education.

General admission to the Whitechapel Gallery is free. It provides access to exhibitions, presentations, film screenings, talks and events. Tower Hamlets therefore offers different forms of cultural engagement side by side: historical collections, themed galleries and an open programme of events.

Markets and local culture

The Sunday Columbia Road Flower Market developed after the Jewish population in the area grew. Brick Lane Market offers fashion, food and art. Together with the Cultural Trail, it creates a picture of local culture that extends beyond individual attractions and connects markets, history and artistic themes.

Nature and paths

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is recognised as a Local Nature Reserve and a Metropolitan Site for the Importance of Nature Conservation. A network of paths runs through woodland and wildflower meadows in the park. Victoria Park also holds a special status: it is London’s oldest public park, covers 86 hectares and is therefore the largest park in Tower Hamlets. Victoria Park forms part of a green corridor stretching from the Thames at Limehouse along the Regent’s Canal and through Mile End Park.

Mudchute Park and Farm covers 32 acres of rural landscape. Visitors to Mudchute Park and Farm can feed or pet the animals under the supervision of specialist staff. Alongside the woodland and wildflower meadows of Cemetery Park, the area therefore also offers rural landscape and direct contact with animals as distinct facets of the borough.

For further location options within Tower Hamlets, you can also visit Poplar.

For the higher-level travel overview: Greater London.

More destinations

More locations within the same destination:

Ealing, Lewisham, Kensington And Chelsea, Hounslow, Merton, Havering, Camden.