Westminster is one of those unmissable (and not to be missed) sites that you just stumble across when you come to London and that you can´t escape - you come into London´s centre and there it is. However, it is also very interesting and should be visited even if it were far off the beaten track. Of course it isn´t, as the millions of other visitors easily attest to. Westminster Palace is a monument to democracy, maybe architecturally less interesting (except of course for Big Ben) from the outside, but the inside is really fascinating and you can do a guided tour that lets you see the Houses of Parliament (certainly in summer, not sure about other times of year when parliament is in session). St.Margaret´s Church is a small gem that should not be missed, but of course most people head straight to Westminster Abbey, Britain´s greatest religous building and a historical monument par excellence. It is the site of the coronation of the kings and queens of England since William the Conqueror claimed his new country´s crown in 1066, and also the burial place for most of them. There are numerous monuments and plaques dedicated to famous historical personalities, from Shakespeare to Mary Queen of Scots. Huge crowds, but still doubtlessly worth the visit. By the way, not too far away (toward Victoria Station) is Westminster Cathedral - not to be confused with the Abbey -, which is Britain´s major Catholic church.