Secret places in London, which you will not find in a typical guidebook

Travel - it's the best way to relax and enjoy new experiences and impressions. Every city in the world holds a great cultural heritage of the people living and living in it. Millions of tourists from all over the world to form a completely chaotic flow of novelty hungry people and services respond to it. Now you can fly anywhere, but the real layfhaker understands - all travel agencies and sightseeing companies operate with maximum convenience for yourself.

All put on the conveyor: the next pack of guests loaded into buses, carrying on the break in the route along the way sell something, and that you would like to see all the charm of the place in which the profits. But any major city conceals many secrets and mysteries that you will not show on a normal tour. These places can not be in the guidebooks, but they are definitely worth seeing. In our series, we will tell you about places in different cities around the world, and the first in London there is a list.

1. Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising (brand Museum, packaging and advertising)

The entire history of consumer culture from 1800 to the present day in one place. This specialized museum contains over 12,000 original items from the unique collection of Robert Opie. Here you can find out how many of your favorite brands now sought the loyalty and recognition for creative approach to packaging and advertising of their products.

Address: 2 Colville Mews, London, W11 2AR
Site:www.museumofbrands.com

2. Rolling Bridge (Bridge-transformer)

It is a miracle of engineering. At first glance it may seem that this is not a bridge, and some huge animated mechanical caterpillar. Initially, the creators of the bridge solved entirely routine task: we need a footbridge, which in this case would be allowed to swim underneath boats. Agree, the decision to get at least unusual. Even in the video transformation of this design is fascinating. Imagine what it is to see live. That's what a creative approach to solving problems is quite trivial. Not for nothing Hizervik Thomas, the creator of this bridge-transformer, has received a prestigious architectural award Vritish Strustural Steel Design Award.

Address: Paddington Basin, west London
About the project:Rolling Bridge
Vicki:Rolling Bridge

3. Ripley's London Museum (Museum of incredible things Ripley)

In fact it is a whole network of museums scattered around the world, and London is one of its branches. That it interesting and unusual? Everything. Museums slogan is the phrase "Believe it or not," and exhibits fully justify it.

Here are collected the most unusual items from around the world - dinosaur eggs, wax-up "custom" of people, stuffed animals with the most incredible forms and mutations. The exhibition is complemented with all sorts of recreational activities: mirror maze, journey into a black hole, laser show trials.

Address: 1 Piccadilly Circus, London, W1J ODA
Site:www.ripleyslondon.com

4. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Sri Swaminarayan Temple)

The last thing you expect to see in London - a Hindu temple. However, it is there, with the size and appearance it is not just surprising. Domes and shikaras this masterpiece of architecture make people literally freeze in surprise. This is a fairly young building (the temple was built in 1995), but it is truly unique. In no other place of the world outside of India there is a Hindu temple this size. Once inside the temple, you can fully experience the atmosphere and philosophy of Hinduism.

Address: 105-119 Brentfield Road, London, NW10 8LD
Site:www.mandir.org

5. Apple Store (Apple Store on Regent Street)

We just could not specify this shrine for all fans of the apple company. At the moment, find the Apple Store will not work in Russia - as long as the company is limited only to the official online store. But in fact every Apple store is unique and is truly a masterpiece of architecture, as located in a very unusual buildings. London Apple Store - not the exception, but the most outstanding in architectural terms in our opinion is a shop on Regent Street. Just look at the pictures. This place is worth a visit.

Address: 235 Regent Street, London, W1B 2EL
Site:www.apple.com/uk/retail/regentstreet

6. Crystal Palace Park (Park with dinosaurs)

It would seem, well, that can be interesting in the park, even if it is London? Track, trees, lovely zoo and, of course, the dinosaurs. This place engendered fashionable and today the trend - fascination dinosaurs. More than 160 years ago, the sculptor and artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins recreated here who once lived on earth, and not a giant monsters in the form of statues, moreover they were built in life-size, as advised creator famous paleontologist Richard Owen.

Address: London, SE20 8DT
Site:www.crystalpalacepark.org.uk

7. The Cartoon Museum (Cartoon Museum)

In London, a huge selection of museums, but a cartoon museum - one of the most unusual. This is a small cozy exhibition, each visitor which can feel like a child, and to touch the wonderful world of cartoons. The museum features more than 5000 cartoon characters and comic books of 4000. Moreover, the exhibition reflects the history and quite serious animated paintings affecting current social issues. Also, the museum is known for its political satire - it can be found not only the image of Winnie the Pooh, but also, for example, a caricature of Elizabeth II.

Address: 35 Little Russell Street, London, WC1A 2HH
Site:www.cartoonmuseum.org

8. Thames Barrier (Barrier on the River Thames)

Man ignorance hardly recognize in these futuristic designs control the river dam. You might think that aliens landed here, or military experience for a weapon of the future. In fact, the construction of nearly 30 years, and it was built because of the threat of repeated novodneniya happens to be adjacent to the river areas earlier. Look at this powerful defender is definitely worth it.

Address: 1 Unity Way, Woolwich, London, SE18 5NJ
Site:www.environment-agency.gov.uk

9. Wooden escalator at a subway station Greenford

London Underground - one of the oldest in the world. Its first branch was opened in 1863. Structurally, it turned out that the London Underground are one of the longest escalators in comparison with systems of underground communication in other cities and countries. Previously, for the manufacture of moving stairs transitions wood used, and one such station Greenford wooden escalator is still in effect.

Vicki:Greenford Station

10. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (Harry Potter Museum)

As you know, the cult series of films about Harry Potter was filmed in England, and in this case, studio Warner Bros. made probably the most enjoyable of possible actions, which could muster: studio where filming took place, it has been converted into a museum. In it, visitors can look at the scenery used in the shooting, and learn a lot about the set process, the enormous work of decorators, costume designers and artists, the development of special effects and stunt tricks.

Address: Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, WD25 7LR
About the museum:Museum of Harry Potter
Site:www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

11. The Shard (Shard)

The Shard - is the tallest building in London, and 45th of the height of a skyscraper in the world. Initially, the construction of this technological miracle prevented numerous opponents, considering the future shape of the structure irrelevant usual form London, however, the building permit was obtained, and now the spire of glass and metal height of 390 meters represents a new era in the life of cities. Particularly noteworthy is that since the beginning of 2013 there has guided tours.

Address: 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1
Site:www.the-shard.com

12. MI6 Building (SIS Building)

Let them according to the film 007: Coordinates "Skayfoll" Thiago Rodrigues and managed to hold the attack in MI6 building, but real life to get close to the fortress of the British Secret Intelligence Service will not be easy. It is known that even in the drafting of the developer of the building have been put forward special requirements for security, and they are still classified. Among British intelligence building jokingly referred to Legoland because of the similarity with Lego designer, as well as Babylon-on-Thames because of the similarity with the ziggurat. Look at this miracle, it appears in all later films about James Bond is definitely worth it.

Address: 85 Albert Embankment

In fact, the list could go on almost indefinitely. In this collection we have tried to collect the place not only unusual, but also has some distinctive atmosphere. Visit them, you will leave London with a huge baggage of emotions and impressions.

We hope that this material will be useful for anyone who plans to visit this magnificent city in the future, and if you have already visited London, then you probably have your own "secret" places that you can recommend to visit. Feel free to share them in the comments.