London is unlimited and behind the classic showcase of the tourist center hides many interesting areas to explore. Today I want to share with you my guide to Canary Wharf as part of my series of travel trips to the London neighborhoods.

In Canary Wharf’s neighborhood you will feel that you are walking through a sphere of parallel reality and you will discover the London of the past through the projects of the future. You will feel the very steely dynamic of modern London and at the same time the dominant power of the once glorious British colonialism.

Canary Wharf

The district of Canary Wharf goes beyond the typical images of the English capital with its firebrick Georgian buildings and the girly pastel houses of Notting Hill. Canary Wharf relays from the future, with towering buildings of glass and steel and giant skyscrapers. It is London’s most important financial and business center after City. But it also has its romantic side, with its countless canals, its floating residences and its mysterious paths. It is a modern and safe neighborhood with a long history, modern architecture, impressive open spaces and many fine restaurants and café bars.

How to get there

The options are many and are what make it an easily accessible neighborhood. Canary Wharf is located in zone 2 east of the City and has excellent transport connections:

Tube : Jubilee Line

DLR : Canary Wharf & Heron Quay Station.

River Bus : Canary Wharf pier.

Bus: 6 bus lines pass through Canary Wharf.

What to do at Canary Wharf

Known as one of London’s most powerful business hubs, Canary Wharf doesn’t call it a boring and ordinary neighborhood! Lately, it’s even attracted a lot of sophisticated travelers looking for authentic experiences. So what can you do at Canary Wharf? A lot!!! From get lost among the glittering skyscrapers to explore the old docks of the once bustling port of the world, escaping to green oases, and enjoying great food and sights.

Walk in the shadow of Canary Wharf’s architectural Titans

Lift your eyes on high and enjoy an exciting walk among impressive skyscrapers and huge towers. Shard and steel! And a glassy feeling shrouded in supreme awe. Walking in their shadow you will feel all the intensity and dynamics of the daily activity that is happening in this hub of the global economy and entrepreneurship. One Canada Square stands out, which is the third highest building in the UK, with a height of 250 meters and 50 floors. Characteristic is the roof of the pyramid-shaped that pierces the London sky and makes it visible even from a very far away. Here are many more iconic skyscrapers, such as the Landmark Pinnacle residential tower, which is one of the highest in Europe in its class, the New Foundland with a height of 220 meters, the Citi Group Center that houses the headquarters of the Citi group and many more.

A stop at Jubilee Park

…is a must to inhale a small dose of mental and spiritual sustainability. Built on top of the Jubilee Line underground, Jubilee Park is a lung of greenery, carefreeness and tranquility in the patchwork of the modern urban landscape. The water element dominates: five helical waterfalls glide lightly among the tall trees.

Visit the Docklands Museum

The Docklands Museum is one of london’s most interesting, pleasant and not at all boring museums, which within its 3 floors briefly encompasses the history of the British Empire. You come across of an image of the old that contrasts with the brilliance of the modern Canary Wharf. The Docklands Museum unfolds the history of the Thames, the harbor and the people of London, starting a chronological journey from Roman times to the recent redevelopment of Canary Wharf. The museum is housed in a Georgian sugar warehouse; the first built in 1802 next to the docks of West India and reveals the long history of the capital through maritime trade, transatlantic trade and slave trade. Starting from the third floor and descending down you will take part in the story through interactive tours. In Sailortown you will find yourself 200 years ago and you will walk through the winding alleys of the noisy and dirty Victorian Wapping, you will pass under low doors, you will see creepy inns and bars of the underworld. You will get a taste of the life of that time. It is an unexpectedly enjoyable experiences this visit to the Docklands Museum that will be unforgettable. Don’t miss it!

Crossrail Place & Crossrail roof garden

Lift anchor for Crossarail Place and crossrail roof garden, the “boat of Canary Wharf. Three levels with shops, restaurants, café bars are waiting for you to explore them and enjoy international flavors. But its real jewel is on the top floor is the Crossrail Roof Garden. This small paradise resembling a tropical greenhouse is filled with plants and trees from all over the world, from Chinese bamboos to guerrilla ferns. The most impressive thing is that the garden is located right on the line of the meridian and is separated by plants coming from the northern hemisphere to the west of the line and vice versa. In this small green escape you will have the entire globe at your feet and your eyes high in the sky.

Discover the nation’s largest collection of outdoor art

No sculpture really lives until it goes to the landascapes, the trees, air and clouds…argued by the British sculptor Barbara Hepworth. In the neighborhood of Canary Wharf, art escapes to its squares and outdoors, moves and intrigues, communicates and inspires. On foot you will have the opportunity to enjoy for free the UK’s largest collection of outdoor art, a collection that gives vitality to the neighborhood and makes it even more interesting. In every corner there are countless sculptures and statues of great artists that cannot be overtaken. Of great interest is the masterpiece sculpture “Two Men on a Bench” by Giles Penny in Cabot Square. This bronze work depicts two men sitting on a bench beautifully placed with each other without looking at each other. Another magnificent sculpture is by Henry Moore, the Draped Seated Woman or “Old Flo” depicting a female figure seated with irregular proportions. It is an amazing work of an important artist of the 20th century. The magic of this neighborhood is exactly this, the encounter of, culture, history and modern architecture.

In the charming paths of the Thames

When the rest of the Canary Wharf speeds up, follow the mysterious paths of the canals. The Thames revolves around the Isle of Dogs and reaches the Canary Wharf where it creates picturesque docks. A charming setting unfolds along the paved paths with floating houses, tied-up boats and a relaxed atmosphere that contrasts sweetly with the idols of aloof skyscrapers in the water. Take some time to really explore these paths next to the docks, because they take you on a journey through the atmosphere and history of London with the whiff of tobacco, the smell of sweat and the scent of the exotic Canary Islands still emerging. The story lives, look around you. Water keeps it alive; water unites the past with the present.

I hope you enjoyed this Canary Wharf guide and got enough inspiration to discover your own London through its beautiful neighborhoods!