London - Southwark

London Bridge links the city with Southwark on the south bank of the Thames. Travelers once used to stay here before going about their business in the City. As Southwark belonged for a long time to the church and was not under the jurisdiction of the City, pubs and prostitution thrived on this bank. Shakespeare's first plays were performed in the courtyard of the George Inn and in 1599 the famous Globe Theater was opened, which burned during a performance in 1613. It is being rebuilt in its original form not far from the original site. Not much of Southwark's past is left today. The warehouses along the Thames have been restored and house restaurants and shops, elsewhere the former disreputable areas of Southwark consist of blocks of flats and building sites.