The British capital is more eclectic and electric than it's been in years. Newsweek hailed London as a "hip compromise between the nonstop newness of Los Angeles and the aspic-preserved beauty of Paris -- sharpened to New York's edge." Wine Spectator proclaims more modestly: "The sun is shining brighter in London these days."

The sounds of Brit-pop and techno pour out of Victorian pubs; experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare's plays; upstart chefs are reinventing the bland dishes that British mums have made for generations; and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, the visual arts, and just about everything else, London, as it moves deeper into the 21st century, stands at the cutting edge again, just as it did in the 1960s.

If this sea of change worries you more than it appeals to you, rest assured that traditional London survives, basically intact under the veneer of hip. This ancient city has withstood a thousand years of invasion, from the Normans to the Blitz, so a few hipsters aren't going to change anything fundamental. From high tea at Brown's to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the city still abounds with the culture and charm of days gone by.

Discovering London and making it your own can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you have limited time. Even in the 18th century, Daniel Defoe found London "stretched out in buildings, straggling, confused, out of all shape, uncompact and unequal; neither long nor broad, round nor square." The actual City of London proper is 1 square mile of very expensive real estate around the Bank of England. All of the gargantuan rest of the city is made up of separate villages, boroughs, and corporations -- each with its own mayor and administration. Together, however, they add up to a mammoth metropolis.

Luckily, whether you're looking for Dickens's house or hot fashion designer Vivienne Westwood's flagship store, only the heart of London's huge territory need concern you. The core of London is one of the most fascinating places on earth. With every step you take, you'll feel the tremendous influence this city has exerted.

London is a mass of contradictions. On the one hand, it's a decidedly royal city, studded with palaces, court gardens, coats of arms, and other regal paraphernalia; yet it's also the home of the world's second-oldest parliamentary democracy. (Iceland was the first.)

Today, London has grown less English and more international. The gent with the bowler hat has long gone out of fashion; today's Londoner might have a turban, a Mohawk, or even a baseball cap. It's becoming easier to find a café au lait and a croissant than a scone and a cup of tea. The city is home to thousands of immigrants and refugees, both rich and poor, from all reaches of the world.

What's amazing is that this city -- ancient and modern, sprawling and compact, stolidly English and increasingly multicultural -- works as well as it does.