London is the one and only,majestic and unshakable. If countries can change their borders or even disappear from the face of the earth, then this city will remain forever. London, which is more than 2000 years old, having seen the power of the Roman Empire and the invasion of the Vikings, having seen the reign of the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, has the richest history among other capitals of the world. It unites under its primacy not only England, but also the rest of the countries of Great Britain. On the one hand, this is a conservative city, like all of good old England. But if you look at it from another point of view, it is an ultra-modern, noisy and cheerful metropolis. The unique identity of London is expressed in ancient architecture, monuments, traditions, style and even in the current reign of the English Queen, adored by most Britons. In a word, this city has something to brag about and something to show to anyone who wants to, be it an ordinary tourist, a visiting businessman or an advanced researcher of history. And London's attractions are a whole separate topic.

Big Ben is a symbol of England

It would be only fair if we started withsymbol of Britain, which has long been the city's calling card. Big Ben is the name of the tower with a clock and bells, erected in the Palace of Westminster in 1858. The height of this tower is 96 meters, but you can only climb up by a narrow spiral staircase. But, having climbed up, you can see a huge bell, almost three meters in diameter and two meters high. At first, this very bell was called Big Ben, then in the course of history this name began to be called the whole tower. Before striking the first second of the hour, the main bell and a large group of bells with the help of chiming knock out the words - "Through this hour the Lord keeps me, and His power will not allow anyone to retreat." The British Parliament approached the manufacture of the famous clock that decorates this building very meticulously. Parliamentarians decided to create a clock with perfect accuracy to the second, and the master who made the clock succeeded. Of course, Big Ben has an error of 1.5 seconds per day, but this was solved in an original way. At a certain time, a coin worth one penny is placed on the heavy pendulum of the clock, and then, when necessary, it is removed. In this way, the Big Ben clock strikes the exact time. All Londoners check their watches with the sounds of the bells of the main clock of the capital, and their strike sounds on the air throughout the world via the BBC radio channel. All four dials of the clock look in different directions of the world, announcing the exact time. At the base of each dial there is an inscription: "God save our Queen Victoria!" Unfortunately for tourists, only service personnel can get inside Big Ben. Everyone can admire the tower only from the outside, but everyone can visit Big Ben and feel the atmosphere surrounding it. This masterpiece of architecture and engineering is listed in the catalog of the World Heritage of Humanity.

Tower

London attractions includeAlso famous is the Tower, a fortress built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror on the north bank of the Thames. It is a grand, powerful fortified complex consisting of a palace, fortress walls, a prison and a warehouse for an arsenal. Previously, the Tower housed a mint, a repository of royal treasures, a large observatory and even a zoo. The entire history of Britain is concentrated in the Tower. William, who was concerned about the protection of London, ordered the construction of walls up to 30 m high and 5 m thick. Subsequently, King Richard the Lionheart built several more towers, and later various kings expanded and completed the fortress. Who was not kept in this famous prison! The kings of England, Scotland and France languished here, as well as high-ranking persons and famous historical figures. The English King Henry VIII sent almost all of his wives, who were unable to give him an heir, through the prison fortress. The same monarch began minting coins from the silver of destroyed Catholic churches and monasteries. All money production was carried out in the mint of the fortress, and important state and legal documents were also stored here. The armory, which served as a warehouse for royal weapons, hides many historical secrets, and the royal treasury stores jewelry that is still used by members of the royal family. Today, the Tower is a huge museum that receives a huge number of visitors and various excursions.

Tower Bridge

One cannot fail to mention another symbol of London –Tower Bridge. It is located near the above-described fortress, hence the corresponding name. Its image is familiar to many who have ever looked at pictures or photographs with views of the capital of Britain. It is difficult to forget two majestic Gothic towers, connected at the top by pedestrian spans, and at the bottom by a drawbridge. If you look at Tower Bridge at night, you can see an impressive grandiose spectacle against the background of the night sky. With the help of a special lighting system, the bridge looks mysterious and majestic.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is anothera famous landmark of London. This remarkable building is the official residence of the English Queen's court. The royal family lives and carries out their duties here. The English King George III bought this palace from the heirs of the Duke of Buckingham in the 18th century and added various buildings to it. In particular, he built a beautiful royal library, which contains a valuable collection of books. Inside the palace there is a luxurious art gallery, many of whose exhibits are real masterpieces of world painting. Subsequently, Buckingham Palace became known as the "Queen's House". On the square in front of the palace there is a monument to Queen Victoria, it was during her reign that the concept of the "United Kingdom of Great Britain" appeared. The interior and decoration of all 775 rooms of the palace correspond to its royal status. The rooms and halls contain Chinese, French and, of course, English exquisite furniture. And there are legends about the famous Buckingham Gardens. All this luxury and beauty can be admired when Queen Elizabeth leaves her abode for two months (August - September) during the velvet season. During this period, the state rooms can receive tourists and visitors.

British museum

In a city like London there is a huge amountmuseums. To thoroughly explore everything, you will need more than one month, if not a year. Therefore, among the attractions of London, the British Museum should be especially mentioned - the main repository of the history of the ancient world, founded in 1753. The museum contains more than seven million exhibits of various subjects. These are paintings, sculptures, coins, engravings, armor, weapons, ancient and medieval books and manuscripts. Here are stored the valuables of ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and Greek ancient culture. Entrance to the museum is free, with the exception of some traveling exhibitions. If you want to donate funds for the maintenance of the museum, you will find special donation boxes. If your generosity exceeds one hundred pounds, you will be issued a certificate of honorary membership of the British Museum with all the ensuing privileges.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a masterpiece of Gothic architecturearchitecture. This place is sacred to the entire British nation. Many historical figures are associated with this abbey. Most English monarchs were crowned and assumed power here. The first record kept here contains data on the coronation of William the Conqueror. Many kings and poets are buried in this abbey. Charles Dickens, Samuel Johnson, Tennyson and others found their final resting place in Poets' Corner.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

London Map with Attractionswill definitely point you to the Madame Tussauds wax museum. This museum contains more than 400 wax exhibits of famous people. Kings and their family members, famous world politicians, athletes, actors and even fictional characters “live” here. Not far from the Madame Tussauds museum is the London Planetarium, one of the largest in the world. Here you can see distant galaxies and order a virtual journey through the vastness of the universe. The double-decker bus is probably the first thing that comes to mind when asked about the sights of London. Indeed, its appearance is familiar to every Russian schoolchild since childhood. Who would not dream of riding around the English capital on the second floor of such a bus? It is an indispensable part of the streets of London, and the entire culture of Foggy Albion.

Famous English pubs

When in London, be sure to visit the veryan ordinary English pub. If you have been to London and have not gone there, consider that you have visited the capital of Great Britain in vain. The pub is a classic of the country's beer culture. The main treat here is, of course, beer, or English ale. It can be flavored with strawberries, garlic, or something else delicious. The wooden interior, TV, low ceilings create an atmosphere of home, where you can gather to watch football or have a heart-to-heart talk. In general, London has a huge number of various drinking and entertainment establishments, and although pubs traditionally close early, this city still has noisy fun in nightclubs and restaurants until the morning. In London, you can choose an establishment for every taste, from luxurious Renaissance restaurants to clubs with ultra-modern equipment. It is impossible to briefly describe all the famous places in London; for this you need to write a guide of several volumes. Moreover, this metropolis is constantly growing and developing. Visit London - Its attractions are so diverse that you will have to look through the photographs for a long time, admiring this magnificent city again and again.

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