The Victoria & Albert Museum, London

 

Sometimes when you’ve lived in a country for a while you may end up neglecting all the amazing attractions that it has to offer. Perhaps because they are on your doorstep you take them for granted, or maybe the lure of exploring foreign countries during your time off is more of an attractive proposition. I’ve lived in the UK for over ten years now and I’ve definitely noticed that I no longer take advantage of all there is to see and do. So, I thought I would dedicate a section of my blog to rediscovering the delights of England. And what better attraction to start with than the Victoria & Albert Museum in London?

 

Five Good Reasons to Visit:

1. Well, for starters, it’s free. (Most museums in London are; although of course they appreciate and welcome donations if you are able to spare a few £.)
2. The V&A is one of the most famous museums in the world and holds over 4 million artefacts in its permanent collection- sculptures, architecture, paintings, jewellery, fashion, photographs – there is definitely something for everyone. When I visited (Jan 2012) I was delighted to see that some of Henri Cartier Bresson’s photographs were on display, including his famous ‘Behind Saint Lazare station, Paris, France 1932.’ 
3. Even if you aren’t a huge museum/ culture buff, I am pretty confident that you will step back in amazement when you see the ‘Renaissance City’ room.
4. It’s super easy to get to – it’s a five minute walk from South Kensington tube station and if the weather is terrible (this is England after all!) there’s an underground walkway direct from the tube stop to the entrance of the V&A.
5. They have great facilities including daily tours, a lovely gift shop (with fabulous cards!)and an abundance of enthusiatic staff on hand to answer any questions you may have.

I visited late afternoon on a weekday and for many parts of my visit I was wandering around through vast rooms and collections all by myself. It was pretty amazing (and yes, I got very lost, very quickly!).

If you’re a museum addict then the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are both within a stone’s throw of the V&A – so you make sure you schedule some time into your visit to see them too.

 

Helpful info for your visit:

V&A Website: http://www.vam.ac.uk/

Opening Hours: 10am – 5.45pm daily / 10am – 10pm Fridays