Maritime Greenwich, London

Greenwich is a quaint outlying district of London with open spaces, impressive classical architecture, and strong connections with the seas and the sciences. The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, and the park in which they are harmoniously set, symbolize English artistic and scientific endeavor in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Queen's House (by Inigo Jones) was the first Palladian building in England, while the complex that was until recently the Royal Naval College was designed by Christopher Wren. The park, laid out on the basis of an original design by Andre Le Notre, contains the Old Royal Observatory, the work of Wren and the scientist Robert Hooke. The first purpose-built scientific research facility in Britain, its measurements helped solve the riddle of longitude. Greenwich was designated as the prime meridian, and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) the standard measurement of time. To help others synchronize their clocks to GMT, a time ball was installed by Astronomer John Pond in 1833. It still drops daily to mark the exact moment of 1 p.m. Greenwich also houses the National Maritime Museum (a rich one, as expected from a nation with illustrious seafaring history), and the clipper Cutty Sark. Maritime Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.