The City of London, also known as The City, or The Square Mile (after its approximate size), is an independent part of Central London known for its history and heritage, so is a must for anyone

The City of London, also known as The City, or The Square Mile (after its approximate size), is an independent part of Central London known for its history and heritage, so is a must for anyone wishing to explore and understand London.

The City is the world's leading centre of international finance. In British parlance, The City often refers to the financial sector, just as Americans might refer to Wall Street. This area contains 255 foreign banks, which is more than any other financial centre. It also is home to the Bank of England and houses other institutions such as Lloyd's and the London Stock Exchange. Every weekday approximately 300,000 workers come into the City to work in small and large business and financial institutions.

The City has a very small resident population of approximately 10,000 people. This means the City is very different on a weekend compared to a weekday.

Time your visit. The City is at its busiest during the week thanks to the large influx of workers. On the weekend the City is quieter with pockets of bustling activity – such as the areas around the Tower of London, Liverpool Street and St Paul’s, including the new shopping centre "One New Change" – and not all shops and restaurants are open. This means the weekend is a good time to visit if you want to walk at your own pace, admiring the architecture and character of the streets and buildings.

Thanks to the City's association with banking and finance, the City offers some of the most fascinating modern architecture in London. The bad news is that very few of the buildings are open to the public, although some do have "open weekends" at certain times of the year. The annual Open House Weekend – usually held on the third weekend in September, is when many London's most famous buildings (including many of those in the City) are open for public tours.

Some of the institutions connected with banking and finance are:

Baltic Exchange - the world's main marketplace for ship broking, nowadays most of its activities,moved to the London stock exchange (London FOX).International Petroleum Exchange -one of the world's largest energy futures and options exchanges. Lloyds of London - the world's most famous insurance market, provides specialist insurance services to businesses in over 120 countries. London Stock Exchange it is one of the world's oldest and largest stock markets. London Bullion Market Association, This is where the world gold price is 'fixed' twice a day. London Metal Exchange, is the leading centre for non-ferrous metals trading. It is also the last financial market in London which still retains open outcry trading.

Buy. The City has an above average shopping offer, with plenty of high-street names and many smaller independent shops. Lunchtime hours can be very busy, as this is the time when workers shop in their thousands, so it's worth considering avoiding the crowds by visiting at a quieter time. Again, at weekends many outlets may be closed. A number of retail venues stand out:

· One New Change 7 days a week. The City's only modern shopping centre, which opened in October 2010. Includes around 60 shops and restaurants. It is situated right by St Paul's Cathedral. Leadenhall Market -Worth visiting for its architecture and old-fashioned cobbled streets. It was used as a location in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Royal Exchange Situated opposite the Bank of England, the Exchange houses a number of upmarket outlets. Part of the exterior was recently featured in the film Bridget Jones' Diary. Spitalfields Market Once a large thriving market.It features a good variety of clothing, crafts and food stalls/shops.

Eat. There are a great many bars, coffee houses, cafes, restaurants and pubs, mainly catering for City workers during the week (and therefore possibly closed at the weekend). Sit down restaurants in this district tend to be expensive and aimed towards business lunches. The vast number of take-away places though are reasonably priced. Some of them are:

Boisdale of Bishopsgate, closed Sa and Su. A rather grand Scottish restaurant which has jazz evenings and offers a cigar bar. Polo Bar,.24H. An unpretentious cafe serving fried breakfasts and similar basic food 24h a day. There are no toilets however, you need to use those at nearby Liverpool St Station. Simpson's Tavern, A traditional old style English eatery which has been in business here since 1757. Most of the food is cooked on an open grill in the corner. A very City of London experience!

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