South Kensington is, without a doubt, one of London's cultural hot spots and is the single most important museum destination in the capital.
'Albertropolis', the name given to the 100 acres of land purchased from the profits of the Great Exhibition, is the UK's foremost cultural and Education quarter. The area was created as a centre for excellence in education for the arts and sciences; 150 years later it is home to many world-class institutions, including three national museums and three highly-regarded universities.
In the last complete financial year for when data is available (2003), the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and Victoria and Albert museum, together with the Royal Albert Hall and other venues in South Kensington attracted over nine million visitors.
The Imperial College, Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music make up the educational centre for the area and all provide a host of exhibitions and events during the year. These educational institutions sit alongside many language schools, the most famous being the French Lycee.
The Lycee is situated close to the Institue Francais on Cromwell Place, which provides French lessons and wine tasting courses to the local community. The Institute Francais is minutes away from the Consulate General of Monaco and the Goethe Insitut, the latter also has a programme of language courses and events.
The Science Museum, including the Dana Centre, and the grand Natural History Museum provide great interactive educational experiences for children and adults alike. Visitors interested in science and history may also be intrigued by the Royal Geographic Society, who host lectures and presentations on geography-related topics.
If the arts are more to your taste, look no further than the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British museum of art and design, with it's blockbuster exhibitions that are constantly challenging the traditional image of museum institutions. If you are looking to purchase art, there are many galleries in South Kensington, the most famous one being Christie's on Old Brompton Road.
If you are seeking religion rather than art, there are many religious centres in South Kensington. The London Oratory is an iconic building on the Brompton Road and and a spiritual home to Brompton's catholic community. Behind the Oratory is the Holy Trinity Brompton, a more contemporary Anglican place of worship for the Christian community. Further behind this is the Russian Orthodox Church on Ennismore Gardens, modelled on an 11th-century veronese basilica. In front of the V&A museum you will find the Islami centre, a religious social and cultural hub for Islami Muslims in the UK.
Please see our directory for information and contact details for all the attractions in South Kensington.