The National Gallery

The National Gallery holds one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world, spanning the centuries from medieval altarpieces to the Impressionists, and it is free to all. Overlooking the fountains and lions of Trafalgar Square at the very heart of London, it hangs masterpieces including Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Turner's seascapes, Rembrandt and Vermeer, a treasury of Western art in a grand and welcoming home.

What to look for

• Van Gogh's Sunflowers - one of the artist's famous versions.
• Turner and Constable - the great British landscape painters.
• The old masters - Rembrandt, Vermeer, Leonardo and the Renaissance.
• Trafalgar Square - the lions, fountains and Nelson's Column outside.

When to go

Year-round; a free, indoor museum, ideal in any weather. Go early or late and on weekdays to avoid the busiest hours, and pick a few highlights rather than trying to see everything.

Before you go

It is free but large, so focus on the highlights rather than every room. It is busy, especially at weekends and around the star paintings. Trafalgar Square outside is a hub of tourists, buskers and protests, lively but rarely quiet.

Nearby

Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the West End and the National Portrait Gallery are all alongside.

Key facts