London
Rainy, slightly foggy, sometimes gray, hurried, but not exactly crowded.. huge. London is one of those cities, which you either love at first sight, or so they grab your first breath, that you wonder what a trap you have fallen into. London is beautiful and sophisticated in its own way. In any case, it is remarkable and memorable. With your huge ones, but elegant buildings, with the orderly life and incessant traffic along the banks of the Thames, with the narrow streets in the center, where black taxis, which you can't confuse, they barely penetrate and crawl, but sometimes you are surprised to find out, that those double-decker red buses pass on them quite regularly, another symbol of London. Mind The Gap souvenirs are sold everywhere (translation - "be careful with the hole" - a great self-irony to the constant warnings in the subway to passengers, lest they accidentally fall into the small gap between the platform and the trains arriving every minute). The giant London Eye Ferris wheel shows the metropolis in all its glory, and Tower Bridge is regularly raised, to make room for larger ships. The curious thing is, that most of the popular tourist destinations in London are not just tourist attractions, and an indispensable part of the daily life of Londoners. And London is one of the cities, in which you will at least feel like a foreigner, tourist and stranger - because there the diversity of people is a way of life.
And so, we arrive in London - at any airport to land, it is still very far away and our first collision is either with the subway, or with the convenient ones, but slow intercity buses. In fact, the first encounter is always with the proverbial orderliness and courtesy of the English and other employees in all administrative structures in London. If you are wondering where to go or you are lost, immediately ask the nearest police officer. And where to start - the options are many, It depends on the mood. If you are tired, you can just sit in a cafe for coffee or tea. If you are fresh, a walk around the central sights or one of the palaces and their parks is a great idea. Or you can head directly to Oxford Street Market.
Almost every visitor to London is in a hurry to see Buckingham Palace - the official home of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family. The palace was built in 1837 r. and has been the official residence of British monarchs since Queen Victoria. If you're wondering if you can meet the queen around - look at the roof flag. If it blows around the clock, so Her Majesty is at home. With more luck, one of the members of the royal family may appear on the balcony or you may notice his car leaving or returning from the palace.
When the queen is in one of her other palaces, you can also visit the interior of the palace for an entrance ticket. It includes a tour of the official reception halls and corridors of the palace.
One of the most visited attractions in the palace is the daily ceremonial change of guard with music and honors., every day in 11:30 h, regardless of the season and climatic conditions. Another attraction offered to tourists is afternoon tea in the palace. And during the warm seasons you can spend hours in the palace gardens, enjoying the comfort and tranquility.
The Tower of London (Tower of London) is one of the most historic places in London. The building has played various roles in British history - prison, palace, vault, even a private zoo. In the massive White Tower, built in 1078 d by William the Conqueror, There is a rich exhibition of weapons and armor of British monarchs. The tower also houses the royal jewels of Great Britain, and another part of the exhibitions is dedicated to sinister scenes and executions from British history. Right next to the tower is the famous Tower Bridge, the bridge, which rises, to make way for the larger ships passing under it. The towers on both sides can also be visited. And the bridge itself is one of the most beautiful and most photographed attractions in London.
The heart of British political life attracts tourists with the beauty of its buildings, located on the banks of the Thames, next to another famous place - Westminster Abbey. But the most famous part of the area is undoubtedly the clock tower-bell tower of the parliament buildings., high 96 m and known as Big Ben. It dates from 1858 g., the diameter of the dial is 7 m, length of arrows 2,74 and 4,3 m. The big bell weighs 13,76 tons, She is tall 2,29 m, and its diameter at the bottom is 2,74 m. In London, only the bell of St. Paul's Cathedral is larger.
Palace of Westminster has been home to both houses of the British Parliament for centuries and you can visit the historic building with a guided tour..
Adjacent to the palace and Big Ben is Westminster Abbey, based in the far 1065 year and a central place for Christianity in Britain since then. To 18 century this is the place, where British monarchs are not only crowned, but also bury. And in recent centuries it has been popular as a wedding venue for senior members of the royal family.. The Abbey is one of the favorite places of tourists in London with its museums, exhibitions, gardens and memorials, including the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
This is the largest and most famous church in London - and one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world.. It is located on the site of a Roman temple. The original building was destroyed in a fire in 1666 r. , and the present construction is the work of the architect Sir Christopher Wren, who is buried in the crypt. Its dome is high 110 m and wide 34 m and is the second largest in the world. It is located around it “The gallery of whispers” - Be careful what you say, even the faintest whisper is heard, issued from the other end of the long gallery.
One of the most famous all-tourist attractions in London is the London Eye, which is also the largest in Europe. From the wheel, located on the banks of the Thames, you can enjoy a panoramic view of London’s most significant buildings. The wheel is high 120 meters and one turn takes about 30 minutes.
309-the Shard meter meter skyscraper is a favorite place of these, who want to look at London from the highest possible place. Except offices, there is also a luxury hotel in the skyscraper, cafes and restaurants.
The British Museum is one of the most significant historical museums in the world and contains over 13 million artifacts from antiquity. There you can see priceless exhibits from the history of Assyria, Babylon, China, Europe and all over the world. The most attractive for tourists are the Rosette Stone, bust of Ramses II, Egyptian mummies. The British Museum is a must for history and archeology lovers and if you want to explore it really in depth, it may take you weeks. The good news is, that the entrance is free.
The Museum of Natural History was founded in 1754 r. and is one of the most interesting places, which you can visit in London, including with children and adolescents and is not coincidentally one of the most visited tourist attractions on the planet. In it are exposed above 80 million exhibits, from all branches of life in the world - from botany to zoology, including artifacts from the discoveries of Charles Darwin. If you are not in a hurry, it is best to start the tour with one of the organized tours, which continue 30 – 50 minutes, to get acquainted with the main halls and directions. And you can stay in the museum all day, sometimes there are even nocturnal events. Admission is free here as well.
It is located near the South Kensington Museum of Natural History and houses works of art from over 5000 years in 145 galleries. There you can see works of ceramics and glass, textiles and suits, silver and jewelry, iron objects, sculptures, printed works and photographs. The exhibits are arranged in four main categories - Asia; Textiles and fashion; Sculptures, metal, ceramics and glass; Words and pictures. And this museum is impossible to visit in one day, but you can start with the free tours, which are organized often.
The two art galleries were once known as a common Tate Gallery. They preserve one of the world's most important collections of works of art. The Tate Britain building is home to works by British artists and houses a permanent exhibition of historical British artwork.. В Tate Modern, located on the south bank of the Thames next to the attractive Millennium Bridge, there are collections of contemporary art. There is a permanent ferry connection between the two buildings, but you can also take a walk - a walk on the Millennium Bridge is a great experience.
Even if you didn't go to London specifically for the market, you will certainly be tempted to buy something, if you go down Oxford Street. On it you will find mostly shops from popular world brands and you can find great offers in every season. The street has the reputation of being the best shopping street in the world and is truly loved by all, and not just from fans of luxury boutiques and overpriced brands.
The name Covent Garden is used both for the famous market in this picturesque district of central London., and for the London Opera, located nearby. Whichever you choose to visit, your choice will be the right one.
No matter how many sights to list, London is not a place, and a whole experience. With the busy metro, trains every minute, typical English tea, thousands of snack bars, cafes, fine restaurants and nightclubs. Last but not least - the endless green parks, which can make you forget, that you are in one of the largest cities in the world. London is often gloomy and humid, but red buses on the streets and dignified buildings are an eternal color accent. Whether you like London or its enormous scale terrifies you, you can't be bored there.
This article was written with the assistance of BulTravel and Agent Express EOOD.
Author : Ivan Rashkov
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