Home to 7.6 million people speaking 300 languages, London is the largest city in Europe. So much diversity could hardly fail to produce a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, but in London this exciting present is coupled with a Royal, Imperial past, reflected in the city's grand civic architecture. With a thriving restaurant scene championing everything from the gourmet to the "gastropub" and world-class cultural institutions like the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Royal Opera House and the Barbican Centre, the capital is in excellent shape. The South Bank’s Millennium Bridge connects St Paul's Cathedral with Tate Modern. Londoners love Norman Foster's "Gherkin", or the Swiss Re Tower as it is formally known - found in the heart of the financial district, The City.