Spend a Sunday Afternoon at Barbican Conservatory

If you ever come to London, and you want to visit one of the most beautiful green spaces in the city, then make sure you don't miss Barbican Conservatory. It is a two-story conservatory hosting over 1,500 plant species, offering unique lush greenery setting that everyone needs after the greyness of the rest of the Barbican estate. 

Sitting on the top of Barbican's main theater, this lesser-known green spot is a perfect getaway for the ones who want to experience something different than all the tourists and explore the magical world of the various plants. 

Barbican Conservatory exists since 1982, and it was supposed to be the main green area where Londoners can come and chill, but surprisingly, the number of visitors was very low. Then, it was decided to lease the venue for private parties, and have it open for the public only on Sundays, which makes it a top-secret place when it comes to foreign tourists.

The conservatory has two houses. The larger one hosts tropical palm trees, shrubs, exotic fruits, and impressive examples of chili plants. 

The second one, the arid house is full of succulents and cacti in enormous size, trying to escape from the glass roof. The Barbican cafe offers expensive but incredible tea, and if you want to spend an afternoon there, you better book in advance. It seems like since they're open only one day in a week, people can't wait to get in. 

Besides the two houses, there are also two fish ponds with colorful koi and rudd. 

Barbican Conservatory is an experience that you can't miss if in London on a Sunday. It's open from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, but some Sundays it's rented for private events, so check on their website before you go.