For things to see and do, visitors to London have endless options. Whether you’re visiting for several days or just wanting a taste of this great city, here’s how to make the most of your time.

The London’s Eye is a 135-metre-high observation wheel. Opened in 2000, it immediately became one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks（地标）. Thirty-two capsules, each holding up to 25 people, take a gentle half-hour round trip. On a clear day, the Eye affords a unique 40-kilometre view, which sweeps over the capital in all directions.

The British Museum was established in 1753 to house the collections of the physician Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), who also helped create the Chelsea Physic Garden. Sloane’s collections have been added to by gifts and purchases from all over the world. Robert Smirke designed the main part of the building, but the architectural highlight（亮点）is Norman Foster’s Great Court, with the world-famous Reading Room at its centre.

For over 500 years the Palace of Westminster has been the seat of the two Houses of Parliament. The building was designed by architect Sir Charles Barry. Westminster Hall is the only surviving part of the original Palace of Westminster, dating back to 1097.

In 1824 the British government was persuaded to buy 38 major paintings, and these became the start of a national collection. Today, it has a collection of some 2,300 Western European paintings. The mian gallery building was designed by William Wilkins and finally opened in 1838.

Landscapes are not only the setting for history; they are also a major source of our sense of history and identity.Read them right, and historical landscapes can be more informative than any other kind of source.This is even more the case with sacred landscapes, which were reflection of our ancestors’ beliefs about their relation to the cosmos and can still today seem to hold a spiritual influence.

Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to have spent time in many historical landscapes, hoping to picture something of the spirits of the people who shaped them over the centuries.I still remember years ago walking along the Inca sacred lines around Cusco, Peru. In this ancient landscape, old sites that once belonged to Incan royals had become torn Spanish mansions. Or many years ago, before the Gulf Wars, I took a journey through south Iraq, the heart land of civilization, where the desert is still crossed by dried-up riverbeds of the Euphrates and canals that once sustained the world’s first cities.

Britain also has its own magical ancient landscapes. From the Mesolithic to the Bronze and Iron Ages, rich layers of the past are still present in the landscape surrounding Stonehenge, even as traffic rushes down the A303. It is the A303 that is the problem. As the main road to the south west from the home counties, the road runs right past Stonehenge. One of humanity’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge is an archaeological landscape without parallel in Europe, and perhaps the world. The first circle at Stonehenge was made 5,000 years ago, and the great stone circle itself in a round 2,500 BC—the age of the pyramids! And the mysteries of this amazing monument and the complex prehistoric societies that produced it are by no means exhausted, as new discoveries continue to show.

All the more worrying to me then, this unique landscape is currently at the centre of a projected plan by Highways England, which aims to relieve congestion on the A303 by creating a four-lane road with a 1.8-mile tunnel, and an expressway interchange 1.5 miles to the west. While the National Trust and English Heritage have offered qualified support for the plan, UNESCO has expressed its opposition. Meanwhile, the Stonehenge Alliance, a group of archaeologists and environmental campaigners, says the plan is based on inadequate and obsolete information. In the end, the argument is about the totality of an ancient landscape, and that includes the ancient astronomical alignment that was purposefully chosen by our ancestors, and that will, in my view, be wrecked by the expressway interchange. Time perhaps for a rethink in the name of future generations?

Britain's brilliant bridges have supported trade, brought communities together and are always the most exciting part of the journey. These must-see bridges are now tourist attractions in their own right.

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol

Described by its legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel as “my first love, my darling", it was originally designed for horse-drawn traffic. Now, more than four million vehicles a year cross the 1,352ft-long toll （通行费）bridge over the Avon Gorge. The £ 1 toll for every journey pays for its maintenance. The history of the bridge, dating back to 1864, is kept alive through a programme of tours, events and exhibitions.

Infinity Bridge, Stockton-On-Tees

A pedestrian（行人）and cycle footbridge across the River Tees, its working title was the North Shore Footbridge, before it was given its grander name when opened in 2009. It is particularly incredible at night. The arches（拱形）of the bridge are also lit white and, on calm nights, their reflection in the water appears as an infinity（无穷大）symbol, thus inspiring the name which was chosen by the public.

Tower Bridge, London

An engineering wonder built from thousands of tons of Portland stone and steel, it took construction workers eight years to complete. More than 120 years old, it's a popular tourist attraction, as well as a functional bridge. Visitors can take in the views over the capital, experience seeing London life through the Glass Floor, and visit the Victorian Engine Rooms.

Iron Bridge, Shropshire

Opened in 1781 , this is the first arch bridge in the world made out of cast iron. Recognised as one of the great symbols of the industrial revolution, it transformed the craft of bridge building and was a crucial factor in the development of the iron trade in Shropshire.