Greenwich named as top UK tourist destination for 2012

Views over Canary wharf from Greenwich Park. Photo: PA

The London borough of Greenwich has been chosen as one of the top destinations for next year by travel guide Frommer's.

Set to become a royal borough next year, Greenwich is praised by Frommer's for its ability to continually reinvent itself since it emerged as a naval centre in the 18th century.

The Old Royal Observatory. Photo: PA

Greenwich is situated six miles east of central London, where several companies run river boat tours to Greenwich Pier, namely from piers at Westminster Bridge, the Millennium Wheel and the Tower of London.

A district of great historic importance, Maritime Greenwich is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and is made up of attractions like the Old Royal Observatory, Greenwich Park, the Queens House, and the Royal Naval College.

The 02 Arena. Photo: PA

The Royal Observatory is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian line, and is one of the most important historic scientific sites in the world. It was founded by Charles II in 1675 and is, by international decree, the official starting point for each new day, year and millennium (at the stroke of midnight GMT as measured from the Prime Meridian). Now a detached part of the National Maritime Museum, it houses a museum and planetarium for tourists.

Greenwich Park is set to be the venue for equestrian events, modern pentathlon and shooting during the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012, and the area will also play host to trampolining, basketball and artistic gymnastics.

And, of course, Greenwich is also famous for being home to the 02 Arena, which is the site for numerous performances by the world's biggest bands and artists.

Visit England's Sarah Long told Aol Travel: 'Greenwich is a World Heritage Site with many iconic attractions like the Royal Observatory and the Old Royal Naval College to name a few. As a venue, too, for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, and with its recent investment into the pier area and the opening of a new wing at the National Maritime Museum, it's no surprise that Greenwich has been named by Frommer's as a must-see destination for next year.'

See more hotly-tipped 2012 tourist destinations below:

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