Travel Guide to London, Great Britain

The capital of Great Britain every year is visited by millions of tourists and it's not surprising: London is full of various places of interest, such as marvellous ancient houses, rich in collections museums, large and beautiful parks and of course the very thing that attracts so many people is that special British atmosphere. London is a very old city. In 43 B.C. the Romans founded a village on the river Thames and nowadays it has turned into a metropolis with the population of 7,5 million of people (if to take into account the outskirts the number will be 12 million). The only thing that can prevent you from visiting all the challenging sights of London are traditional English pubs, for which Britain is so much famous.

Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge over the Thames is the most well-known movable bridge in the world. It may surprise you that it got its name not because of the two towers, with which it's decorated, but due to the Tower of London that takes place nearby. Tower Bridge was built in 1894 and though the main trunk line lies through it, navigable way of travelling is more preferable. If a very large watercraft passes by, you may watch the rise of the both sides of the bridge. And the thing is that the height of opening of the bridge is equal to the size of a definite watercraft. Fully the bridge is opened only as a sign of deep respect to a person, as it was made in favour of Winston Churchill. Tower Bridge is surely one of the main sights in London. The upper part is a pedestrian zone and there one can enjoy the wonderful view on London roofs. You should also visit the museum that tells everybody about the history of Tower Bridge. The old machine room is open for visitors too.

Buckingham Palace. A very popular show in London is the Changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace. Public that gather there watch how the infantry marches along St James Square in the direction of the residence of British monarchs. In 1762 King George III inherited the palace as a personal residence. When Queen Victoria came to the crown, Buckingham Palace was turned into the official residence. By that time the marble arch, which used to serve as an entrance for honourable guests, was dismantled and installed in Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace got its modern look. Behind the palace one can see the huge private garden (it actually can be called a park, so large it is). Inside the palace and the garden there are a lot of art objects, Waterloo Vase is one of them. The Royal Gallery is opened for visitors, so everybody can look at the pictures from Queen's collection.

St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's Cathedral is the fifth built on this place cathedral, devoted to St Paul, the patron of London. In 604 the first wooden cathedral appeared there. Modern St Paul's Cathedral was created after the previous one got burnt during the Great Fire of 1666. The building works lasted for 40 years, and even when the whole work was finished from time to time some reconstruction was carried out. For example, the mosaic on the ceiling was finished only in 1890. The cathedral frequently serves as the place for national ceremonies. In 1981 the wedding ceremony of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was translated from there all over the world. While visiting the cathedral don't forget to go the Whispering Gallery, the round balcony located at the basal parts of dome. Every word said there is clearly heart on the other side of the dome.

The British Museum. The British Museum, where more than 6 million of art objects are exhibited, is one of the largest museums in the world. It shows the works that tell us about the history of people from prehistoric age till present day. Every day British museum is visited by a great number of people and it's not only because of the rich exposition. In the big building of the neoclassic style takes place the famous reading hall of the former British Library. In 2000 the courtyard of the museum was unveiled. With the help of the project of Sir Norman Foster it became the largest glassed square in Europe. The British Museum was created in 1753, basing on the collection of Sir Henry Sloane. It was opened for public in 1759. Nowadays the British Museum is first of all known for its collection of mummies, the Stone of Rosetta and the exposition of antic marble sculptures 'Elgin Marbles'.

The Tower of London. The Tower of London is a complex of buildings that in different times served for different reasons: as an arsenal, a royal palace, a prison, an observatory and a mint. Nowadays the Tower of London is mainly famous for the fact that there the royal jewellery is kept there. The building works of the 'White Tower' started in 1078 by the order of William the Conquer. Time passed and the tower became larger, some new buildings appeared. Around it a moat was trenched. The White Tower in the centre seems to be quadratic, though in reality its walls are unequal. The Tower of London witnessed a lot of well-known and awful crimes. Nowadays the Tower of London is a popular tourist place that attracts visitors by the royal collection of jewellery and a rich collection of weapon and armour.

Read more about London:
Restaurants and cuisine in London
Local traditions and lifestyle
'Must visit' places in London
Nightlife and attractions in London
Preparing for London: Advices
London photogallery