Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is one of the major tourist attractions in London. It is the official residency o the British monarchy. At the moment British monarchy is led by Queen Elizabeth II. Each time the royal family is in the palace, a flag flies on the roof. Buckingham Palace has nearly 600 rooms, including a throne room, a ballroom, a dining-room, picture gallery and even a swimming-pool. Some of its rooms can be visited in summertime, only when the Queen is not at home.
Buckingham Palace

Hyde Park

London is full of wonderful parks and Hyde Park is one of them. Situated in the center of London it’s considered to be a royal park. A long time ago the park belonged to Westminster Abbey and it got its name from an ancient unit of area. Now it has become one of the beloved places of Londoners who just want to have a rest or walk. The main attraction of the park is Serpentine Lake which is open for swimmers, and the gallery of the same name. Hyde Park is also famous for its Speaker’s Corner. It’s the place where different orators demonstrate their ideas.
Hyde Park

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is the place where many outstanding Englishmen are buried, among them well-known poets, writers, scientists, statesmen, painters and many others. Many people who visit the Abbey want to commemorate such great men as William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Robert Burns, Bernard Show, Lord Byron, Walter Scott, Geoffrey Chaucer, and many others. The history of Westminster Abbey dates back to the Middle Ages or even the earlier times. As 900 years ago St. Peter found the first church on the place, where the Abbey is now situated. According to the ancient tradition all English kings and queens were crowned and wed here.
Westminster Abbey

The Tower

It's the London's oldest building. It was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. It is situated in the center of London on the north bank of the River Thames. It has 20 towers and the most important of all is the White Tower, which was built by William the Conqueror. The Tower has a long and rich history. It has once been a royal palace, a fortress, a prison, a place of execution and even a zoo. Today, it’s mainly a historical museum and houses the Crown Jewels. There is a gift shop.
The Tower

The heart of London

It was named Trafalgar Square to commemorate the historical naval victory won on the 21st of October 1805 by the British fleet under the command of Horatio Nelson. Nelson's Column, with the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson on top, rises in the centre of Trafalgar Square. To the north-east of Trafalgar Square there is the building that houses the National Gallery of Art - one of the most important Art Galleries in the world - and behind is the National Portrait Gallery. Quite often the square becomes the location for meetings and in it crowds of Londoners congregate to celebrate political rallies. There are many pigeons in the square and Londoners like to feed them. Everybody knows that the dove is the symbol of peace all over the world.
Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery

The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square. It stands to the north of it. The National Gallery was founded in 1824 when the government bought the collection of John Angerstein which included 38 paintings. The National Gallery houses has one of the richest and most extensive collections of painting in the world. The gallery was designed by William Wilkins. The collection covers all schools and periods of painting, but is especially famous for its examples of Rembrant and Rubens.
The National Gallery

The Houses of Parliament

Its official name is the Palace of Westminster. Most of the building was built in 1840 after the fire of 1834 destroyed the old palace. The Houses of Parliament can be visited by the public. The entrance is through the door located at the foot of Victoria Tower and next to the Royal Arch. Visitors start at the Royal Gallery and then go to the House of Lords. At the north end of the building, by Westminster Bridge, there is the famous clock tower, Big Ben. In fact Big Ben is really the name of the bell in the tower, not of the clock.
The Houses of Parliament

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most beautiful buildings in London. It has one of the highest domes in the world and is considered to be the second largest church in the UK. St Paul is a place of important services. When old St Paul's was built in the time of William the Conqueror, stone from Northern France was used and it was much taller and wider than it is today. During the reign of King Henry VIII, financial problems meant there wasn't enough money for the cathedral's upkeep. Parts of it were destroyed and a market place was set up inside selling, bread, meat, fish.
St. Paul’s Cathedral