It is a collection of very white and pastel-coloured Edwardian houses, tree-lined avenues and parks, museums and elegant buildings overlooking busy streets.
The Kensington & Chelsea area is one of three London areas (along with Kingston upon Thames and Greenwich) to boast the name of Royal Boroughs.
The reason for this name is simple: it belongs to the neighborhoods that give birth to members of the Crown and, in the case of Kensington, the great event was the birth of Queen Victoria.
Although it is now part of the capital, before the sixteenth century this area of London was a town in itself and was known as Kensing town, from which the current name of the entire neighborhood derives.
As with many other areas of London, the history of Kensington and Chelsea also begins thanks to the river, in fact, there was once a small port inhabited almost exclusively by fishermen who drew their livelihood from the Thames.
The river, according to the chronicles of the 16th century, was rich in salmon, would you believe it?
Today Kensington is one of the most elegant and renowned areas of the city, chosen by artists, politicians and entertainers for their homes and by embassies from all over the world for their headquarters.
A little curiosity: it seems that apartments and houses in Kensington are among the most expensive in the whole country and it's not hard to believe.
The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea covers a very large area and is made up of six boroughs of its own (Brompton, Chelsea, Earl's Court, Holland Park, Kensington and Notting Hill) and one that it shares with Westminster (Knightsbridge).
Some of these are almost entirely residential, while others have become famous thanks to museums and places of tourist as well as historical interest.
Together with Buckingham and the Tower of London, Kensington Palace is one of the most important buildings in the capital among those linked to the British crown and is located in the district from which it takes its name.
Queen Victoria was born here and it is still possible to visit her apartments today, although many other areas of the palace are closed to visitors.
You can also purchase the ticket online, in order to avoid queues and organize the visit.
The building overlooks the Hyde Park area which takes its name: Kensington Gardens and which is in all respects part of the neighbourhood.
This green space full of bodies of water is perfect for a walk, to relax a bit or to do a bit of sport.
Above all, for literature lovers, the first part of the events of Peter Pan was also set in this corner of the park, a character born from the mind of the English writer James Matthew Barrie.
A statue is dedicated to the “boy who didn't want to grow up”, one of the most beautiful and famous in the park, which is located a stone's throw from the Italian Gardens and the entrance near Lancaster Gate.
In the South Kensington area, there is a truly particular building that risks going unnoticed if you don't choose to leave the main street for the side street: the Thin House.
Built between 1885 and 1887 and designed as a studio for the numerous artists who already worked and lived in the South Kensington area, the house is located at number 5 Thurloe Square and is one of the narrowest in London.
In reality everything is the result of an optical illusion: just turn the corner to see that the red brick building then widens at the back reaching normal dimensions, going from just over 1 meter and 80 centimeters over 10 metres.
A curiosity that is still worth including in the itinerary.
