Broadgate Venus

You'll find this bronze sculpture smack in the middle of Broadgate, the office and retail development just north of Liverpool Street station. It's a 1985 piece by sculptor Enzo Plazzotta - a proper statement piece that manages to feel both muscular and elegant at once. The Venus herself is about 3 metres tall, her weight distributed across one leg in that classic contrapposto stance, and she's caught enough light from the surrounding glass buildings to gleam even on grey London days.

This isn't a gallery in the traditional sense - it's public art in the round, free to walk past whenever you're in the area. You'll get the best of it from different angles as you move around the plaza. The whole Broadgate complex is worth a wander anyway. There's usually something on in the open air spaces, whether that's a market, live music, or people sprawled on the steps eating lunch.

Historically inclined visitors will find it interesting as part of London's post-war sculpture boom, though honestly it works best as a reason to spend time in this bit of the City rather than a destination in itself. Kids tend to ignore it unless you explain what it is, in which case they'll sprint off to find it.

If you're staying nearby - Lovat Parks is about 3 miles away - pop in when you're heading to or from Liverpool Street. Twenty minutes maximum, but the whole plaza is worth an hour if the weather's decent.