The Windsor Castle ♥♥♥, which remains the official residence of the British monarch, as well as an oft-used location for various State occasions, is grand and magnificent.

The State Apartments boast great armour displays and a worthy of a top gallery collection of paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Holbein and others. Otherwise, their grandeur is fairly understated – not a bad thing, really, just slightly below awe-inducing for those who’ve seen a lot of opulent palaces during the years.

There is an incredible in its detail Dolls’ House as a separate stopping point of interest (prepare to wait in line for an hour or so), and a marvelous St. George’s Chapel within the castle’s precincts.

The complimentary audio-guide is excellent. It comes in several languages and in two versions: For adults and for children. The kids-oriented narration makes viewing the rooms and grounds into a sort of a treasure hunt, constantly asking the youngsters to look for this or search for that. Our young children were completely engrossed in the activity.

If you have enough time, you may want to spend a bit of it strolling through the busy shopping-and-eating area around the castle, as well as walking across the river to the atmospheric Eton village.

Posted in Britain, London: Further afield.