HYDE PARK

London's green lung, Hyde Park is the capital's largest and best-known park. It's also a favorite with Londoners, who come here to jog or simply stroll, especially on Sundays. Unlike many French parks, you can do almost anything in Hyde Park: cycling, rollerblading, rowing, horseback riding, picnicking... Historically, it was Henry VIII who acquired this land from the monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536. It was used as a hunting ground until James ^I acceded to the throne and authorized access. The grounds were put to a number of uses: as an important assembly ground under Charles II, they hosted the Universal Exhibition in 1851 and were transformed into a potato field during the Second World War. In winter, it's home to Winter Wonderland, a Christmas village, and in summer it's a popular spot for picnics, just like the real English.

Diana Memorial Fountain. Open April to August from 10am to 8pm, September from 10am to 7pm, March to October from 10am to 6pm and November to February from 10am to 4pm. The memorial is usually closed once a year, in late October/early November, for maintenance. The memorial was inaugurated on July 6, 2004. It features a contemporary fountain whose design, by American architect Kathryn Gustafson, is a metaphor for Diana's life, with two parting streams, one of which cascades, swirls and bubbles, eventually joining the other in a calm pool. The water is constantly renewed, drawn directly from the city's drinking water supply.

Marble Arch. At the northern corner of Hyde Park, Marble Arch is a vast white monument in Carrara marble built in 1928 by architect John Nash. Marble Arch was inspired by Constantine's Arch of Triumph in Rome. It originally stood in the Mall as a gateway to Buckingham Palace, but was moved to its present location in 1851 during Queen Victoria's extensive refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.

Speaker's Corner. Speakers' Corner is a public area where people can speak freely. Here, everyone is allowed to speak as long as what they say does not violate the law. The police rarely intervene, usually when listeners complain or the language is really vulgar. This is where fundamentalists of all stripes come to rant and rave. The language is usually political or religious.