the centre of london, and it's free
London's great public square, free and always open, with Nelson on his column, Landseer's bronze lions, fountains and a fourth plinth that shows a new piece of contemporary art every couple of years.
Free to visit · Westminster · Charing Cross · WC2N 5DN
Opening: Always open
Trafalgar Square is the symbolic centre of London, the point all the road distances are measured from, and it belongs to everyone. Laid out in the 1840s to mark Nelson's victory at Trafalgar, it is free, always open and almost always full of life.
Nelson stands on his fifty metre column guarded by four huge bronze lions, the fountains play, the National Gallery fills the north side and the steps are one of the great free places in London just to sit and watch the city pass.
Look to the empty plinth in the northwest corner. The Fourth Plinth was never given its planned statue, so since 1999 it has hosted a rotating run of bold contemporary artworks, a giant blue cockerel, a swirl of whipped cream, a ship in a bottle. It is the most talked-about free art commission in the country.
Getting there: Two minutes from Charing Cross, with Leicester Square and Embankment almost as close.
Best time to go: Early morning for the square without the crowds, or in December for the giant Christmas tree given by Norway every year since 1947.
Insider tip: Climb the steps by the National Gallery for the best view back across the square and down Whitehall, then walk straight into the free National Gallery behind you. Two of London's best free things, one set of steps apart.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide