Standing proudly on the south side of the Strand in central London, the ever majestic Somerset House overlooking the River Thames has been a popular filming location for well-known movies such as James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies and GoldenEye. An imposing structure of neo-classical design, it was originally the site of a Tudor palace built by Sir William Chambers in 1776.

In recent times, the Somerset House was given a new lease of life when the Courtauld Institute of Art was established. Reinventing itself as a center for the visual arts, it houses the prestigious Courtauld Gallery, which boasts of an amazing collection of old master and impressionist paintings. Visit in winter and skate on the ice rink or be entertained by the fanciful array of fountains with 55 vertical jets of water rising to random heights.